Shirley Ballas Pokes Fun at Viral Dance Moves with Stunt Double

Shirley Ballas, the 66-year-old judge on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, has playfully addressed the recent on-screen moment that left fans bewildered. During a pre-recorded professional dance segment on the results show, Ballas appeared to perform impressive backflips and the worm, moves that sparked widespread speculation about whether it was truly her executing the stunts.

To clarify and inject humor into the situation, Ballas shared a behind-the-scenes Instagram video featuring her stunt double, Alexis Warr. Warr, sporting a matching polka dot dress and curly wig, mimicked Ballas's appearance as they recreated the viral sequence. The pair playfully referenced the popular "One of us is going to have to change" meme, with Ballas captioning the post, "POV: You bump into yourself backstage." She also jokingly insisted in the caption, "It totally was me doing the flips… @bbcstrictly @alexis_warr."

The video showed Ballas being lifted into the air by professional dancer Vito Coppola, after which Warr took over to perform the complex acrobatic moves, including multiple backflips and the worm, before the transition back to Ballas.

Viewers on social media had expressed their surprise and curiosity, with many questioning if the 66-year-old judge had indeed performed the daring choreography. Comments ranged from "Wait a damn minute… Shirley Ballas busting out these moves was not on my bingo card" to "Did they just use a stunt double for Shirley Ballas complicated dance moves and backflips??" Others praised the seamless transition, with one fan writing, "Well on first watch, you had me fooled. Alexis is a very good younger Shirley." Another commented, "It was such a smooth transition that my children did not believe me when I said it wasn’t you doing the flips."

In other Strictly Come Dancing news, contestant Delta Goodrem has been forced to withdraw from an upcoming show due to a rib injury. The singer, who was set to perform for "Icons Week," will receive a bye to the following week, with doctors advising her to rest and recover. Goodrem expressed her disappointment on social media, stating she was "absolutely gutted" but focused on healing.

Meanwhile, Melanie Walters and her professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec became the second couple to be eliminated from the competition. Walters' Charleston performance did not impress the judges enough to save her from the dance-off against Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr. Despite her departure, Walters expressed gratitude for her time on the show.