Shirley Ballas Faces Backlash for Critical Comments on "Strictly"

Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has drawn criticism from viewers for her sharp critiques and scoring during the show's Halloween special. The backlash comes days after Ballas made a guest appearance on the U.S. version of the show, "Dancing With The Stars" (DWTS), where her scoring and comments were also described as "brutal."

During Saturday's Strictly episode, Ballas awarded a score of five to Jaime Winstone for her salsa performance, leading viewers to fear the contestant would face her third dance-off. Similarly, Olympian Tabby Stoecker received a five from Ballas, despite receiving sevens from fellow judges Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

Fans noted what they perceived as a double standard in Ballas's feedback. One viewer pointed out on X that Ballas told a female contestant, "we’re halfway through so I expect better technique by now," while telling a male contestant, "we’re only halfway through, so you’ve got time to improve."

Another example cited was Ballas's feedback to Delta Goodrem, stating, "we're halfway through, so I expect to see the correct footwork," and to Lawrence Robb, telling him to "keep working on your frame" but adding "we're in the middle of the show."

House of The Dragon star Bethany Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu also faced criticism from Ballas, who advised them to "start going for things" if they were "fortunate enough to" progress in the competition. Viewers interpreted this as another instance of Ballas holding female contestants to a higher standard.

Ballas's appearance on DWTS earlier in the week also generated significant reaction. She awarded actress Julia Stiles a low score of four for her Argentine Tango, a decision that reportedly surprised co-judge Bruno Tonioli. American audiences praised Ballas's strict judging, with some calling for her to become a permanent fixture on the DWTS panel. She also scored her son, Mark Ballas, and his partner lower than other judges.

Despite reports of other judges considering leaving Strictly, Ballas has stated her intention to remain with the BBC show, asserting it is her "dream" to appear on DWTS but she is "100%" not leaving Strictly. The head judge has developed a reputation for her stern scoring on the UK show, a characteristic that was evident during her U.S. appearance and carried over into the recent Strictly episode.