Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has defended her scoring after viewers accused her of harsh feedback and underscoring contestants this series. The backlash followed the Halloween special, which featured a three-way dance-off for the first time and saw actor Lawrence Robb sent home.
Viewers Criticise Scores
During the main show on Saturday (October 31), Shirley sparked criticism from viewers over her comments to the celebrities. For Tabby Stoecker's Quickstep, she handed out a score of five.
Speaking to Tabby and her partner Mark Karmalita after their dance, Shirley said: "It wasn't your best for me, but I can see potential in this team." The audience started booing, before Shirley added: "Listen to your auntie Shirley, because you've got a chance to go far."
Fans watching at home were unimpressed by the ruling. One shared on social media: "Shirley being harsh on Delta and Tabby but giving John stupid amounts of praise?" Another added: "A FIVE?! Shirley, I am stealing that five panel from you. IT'S BEEN OUT TOO MUCH, AND IT'S UNFAIR EVERY TIME."
Shirley's Response
Someone else echoed the sentiment, saying: "There is no way Tabby's Quickstep was a 5." Another fan claimed the scoring was "truly ridiculous."
Shirley has now addressed the matter directly during new online spin-off series Strictly: Lights Up. Presenter Abi Clarke commented: "Spooky vibes on the ballroom. People at home are a chatter that possibly your scoring is harsher this week than usual.
"Did anybody else notice that? I heard you said we should be harsher and more technical. Why a couple who may have got a 7 last week, getting a 5 this week."
Shirley replied: "The performance wasn't as good as last week. Everything is according to what I see at that particular time without fear or favour. I don't do fluff. We're not halfway through the competition, we're almost there.
"I expect to see some of the standards we set at the beginning. If I don't see them and other people use them, that's what I do. I just judge on what I see."
Defending the Score
Shirley added: "5, 6, and 7 is a good score. 8 and 9, you're truly on your way. A 10 is perfect. For me a 5 is a good score, had it been a 2,3 or 4, we could have said it was a low score. 5 is not a low score in my book...
"The people are getting a 9 and you get a 5, do you want me to give you an 8 when you had a poor outline. You have to judge on what you see and be fair."
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
