Strictly Come Dancing has been hit by a fixing controversy after head judge Shirley Ballas saved Mollie King over bookies' favourite Aston Merrygold. Viewers were left outraged, with some threatening to boycott the show, as Ballas cast the deciding vote despite Merrygold's superior track record of high scores.
Behind the scenes, producers were reportedly horrified by the decision, fearing a massive public backlash. A source told The Sun: 'Some of the production team were totally horrified and even annoyed to see such a good dancer get the boot when there is so much more of the series left. It’s the biggest shock in the show’s history, without a doubt.'
It has emerged that Ballas is close friends with Mollie's dance partner AJ Pritchard, with him referring to her as his 'dance mum'. Earlier this year, Ballas posed for a photo with Pritchard and his professional partner Chloe Hewitt, captioned: 'Loved spending time with our dance mum @shirleyballas.'
Aston Merrygold, who was the sixth celebrity to leave the series, expressed his disappointment but remained positive. In an emotional Instagram post, he thanked the 'f***ing brilliant class of 17' and praised his dance partner Janette Manrara, calling her a 'Latin sensation'. He added: 'Next stop and adventure being a daddy.'
Outraged viewers took to Twitter, with one saying: 'That's f***ing ridiculous! Aston should've been in the final!' Another added: 'Omg I am utterly shocked. Why on earth are the public voting for who they are. Neither of them deserved to be in the bottom 2.'
