Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has defended her scoring after her guest judging debut on the US version of Dancing With The Stars sparked a viewer backlash, with fans questioning her marks and accusing her of favouring certain contestants. The former dance champion joined the American competition for its Halloween special, but her approach to scoring proved divisive, with several of her marks falling well below those awarded by the show's regular judging panel.
Low Scores Stun Contestants
Julia Stiles and her professional partner Ezra Sosa received scores of seven and eight from the other judges, only for Shirley to award them a four. A similar situation unfolded when Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik earned three eights before receiving a four from the Strictly star. The lower marks left some contestants visibly stunned, while viewers took to social media to express their frustration at Shirley's decisions.
On X, @btasticfandoms wrote: "SHIRLEY GIVING JULIA A 4???? oh yeah tonights gonna be ROUGH" as @chaandmami added: "i hate that shirley is like 'there was no recognizable paso techniques in that' like …okay? how is that tatyana's fault? why not just score her on what was given and just call out her pro for disappointing choreography?"
Shirley's Defence
Shirley later addressed the reaction to her scoring during an appearance on Good Morning America, explaining that her marks were not intended to be as damning as some contestants and viewers appeared to believe. "To me, those scores are actually still quite good because they're not twos and threes!" she said. She went on to explain how she views the scoring scale, suggesting that marks in the middle of the range should be seen as a positive indication of progress rather than a sign of failure.
"Four, fives, and sixes to me is generally a good score. You're on a good track. And then, when you get to sevens, eights, and nines, you've really mastered your craft." She also took to her Instagram and posted a video of her lifting the "4" panel as she quipped: "I think I might have given my fellow judges a jump scare".
Different Standards
The judge also acknowledged that her approach might differ from what American viewers are accustomed to seeing, particularly when it comes to lower marks. After being told that only "a couple" of twos had been awarded across 35 seasons of Dancing With The Stars, Shirley joked about the difference between the two competitions.
"It's a good job I'm not a full-time judge on this, then, isn't it? Because I am still giving out threes on week seven on Strictly, but it's acceptable over there. I've never been a great person of fluff, which is, 'You're all great.' I like people to get some knowledge."
