Strictly Come Dancing fans have spoken out against what they describe as a 'wave of negativity' directed at head judge Shirley Ballas, with one viewer urging others to ease off the criticism.
In a Reddit post following last weekend's Halloween shows, a fan addressed fellow viewers directly, writing: "Can we chill it with the Shirley hate please? I'm seeing posts on here directing negativity, hatred and vitriol towards Shirley on the daily now and it's getting tiring."
The fan pointed out that Ballas has not caused physical harm, been verbally abusive towards contestants, or faced public criticism from dancers, asking: "So why am I seeing constant piles on against her?"
Fan defends Ballas amid backlash
The same viewer added: "She might be a flawed person, but oh my god everyone is. This is probably an unpopular opinion but she's my favourite judge, I love her sass and I just think she seems really fun and lovely."
Ballas, 66, faced significant backlash following her Halloween week judging appearance, with viewers accusing her of being excessively harsh and out of step with the other judges. Critics also claimed double standards in her technical scrutiny, saying she was more forgiving of some contestants while penalising others heavily for technical flaws.
Some argued her technical reprimands, such as scolding contestants on footwork and posture, were disproportionate for the fun, production-heavy Halloween specials.
Supporters point to double standards
Several viewers agreed with the original poster, with one writing: "I'm a Shirley Ballas fan. I have criticisms of all the judges, none of them are perfect or everybody's cup of tea, but Shirley gets it worst. The same happened to Arlene Phillips when she was a judge. Craig is a far harsher critic than Shirley but is allowed to be the pantomime villain."
Another echoed: "Why does Shirley get the brunt of it? If you look at the show's history, Craig has said a lot of things and yet he avoids the heat."
Not everyone agreed, however, with one person writing: "Not seeing this personally, I absolutely don't condone extreme hate but there's a lot to criticise about Shirley and as long as it's said respectfully, I don't see a problem with it."
Ballas has defended herself from critics, insisting she judges strictly on what she sees "without fear or favour" and does not do "fluff". She maintained that 4s and 5s are still respectable scores in technical ballroom judging and that higher marks must be earned as the competition progresses.
Strictly Come Dancing is next on TV on BBC One at 6:30pm on Saturday, 7 November 2026 for Week 7.
