Some Strictly Come Dancing viewers have said they are switching off from the show because of Anton Du Beke's judging commentary, with one fan revealing they now watch on BBC iPlayer to skip his remarks.
Du Beke, 60, joined the judging panel in 2021 after spending 16 years as a professional on the show. He sits alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas for the 2026 series.
Viewer frustration over 'rambling' comments
On Reddit, one viewer admitted they had become so irritated by Du Beke's "rambling" that they prefer to watch Strictly on BBC iPlayer, where they can skip through his commentary.
"I have had to move to the Iplayer. I simply can't watch Anton any longer. I know he's very popular," the viewer wrote. "It's when he goes on a tangent. Just making noises and sounds just rambling. Even Emma commented on it in the results show."
The same viewer expressed a desire for Du Beke to be replaced on the panel with former professional Johannes Radebe, who became one of the show's three presenters alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Mixed reactions to the criticism
In response, one suggested the "issues" surrounding Du Beke could relate to how long he has been on the show, noting he is the longest-serving cast member along with Craig Revel Horwood, both having been there from the very beginning.
"As a result, you do tend to earn quite a bit of respect and kudos, not just from the cast and crew, but from the managers and producers as well," they wrote. The viewer claimed Du Beke is allowed to "run free range like an undisciplined child", adding that although they had previously been a fan of the judge, they feel he is starting to turn into a "very annoying and pretty outdated version of Bruce Forsyth".
Another commented: "He is a bit irritating tbf. Not sure he's bad enough to need to be given the heave ho, although I do think it's time for a shake-up with the judges."
Support for Du Beke remains
Others disagreed with the criticism, with one saying: "If he's not for you then he's not for you. We love Anton, we have tickets to his Christmas show this year. Seems like a lovely bloke."
Another posted: "He's annoying when doing the shouting definitely. But the rest of his feedback is great as actually helps understand what dances should look like." A third added: "You can't please all of the people all of the time."
