Shirley Ballas hits back at ‘childish’ Strictly fans who branded her ‘sexist’ for sending Sam Quek home
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s head judge Shirley Ballas has clapped back at fans over what she slammed as “childish” remarks suggesting a show fix.
It came as sports ace Sam Quek, 36, was given the boot in Sunday’s results show alongside BBC programme professional Nikita Kuzmin, 26 – with fans blasting the outcome and admitting they were “turning off.”
The duo had danced an American Smooth to Taylor Swift track, Love Story, yet all the judges voted unanimously to save Montell Douglas, 38, and Johannes Radebe, 37, after their Waltz.
They danced the smooth routine to Whitney Houston track, I Will Always Love You.
Neither celeb contestant was bottom of the leaderboard following the judges scoring – yet fans still took aim at Shirley, 64, after the outcome was revealed.
One Strictly Come Dancing viewer took to X to write: “So frustrating when the judges can’t mark properly as we then have the wrong people in the dance off and the wrong couple going home.
“Watching the smile fade off Sam’s face after she did well each week was infuriating when her male counterparts had mistakes ignored.”
Yet Shirley wasn’t going to let the remarks lie.
She re-posted the message to her page and wrote: “The show has been on over twenty years the public vote makes a difference.
“You the public can vote to save your favourites.
“It gets childish to blame the judges.”
During Saturday’s episode, fans blasted the panel for “over marking” Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal – calling out errors in the male star’s routine.
They also suggested opera singer Wynne Evans had broken show rules by singing in his routine – something they suggested had also been overlooked.
Yet after the outcome, Shirley’s fellow judge Motsi Mabuse faced a backlash after calling out the public.
Motsi addressed the apparent gender imbalance in the celebrity cast and said: “I would have to agree with Craig, both girls [Montell and Sam] danced beautifully and it just feels like we’re losing girls and girls and I’m like ‘What is happening?’
“But when I compared the two dances, the Waltz and the slow Fox[trot], I am going to save Montell and Johannes.”
Strictly 2024 pairings
Here's who is matched with who this series...
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
Strictly fans were outraged that the two women were in the dance off, but some felt the judges were to blame as much as the public.
SAD FAREWELL
Former hockey player Sam became the sixth celebrity to leave the competition during the results show.
After Sam was booted off the series, she told the presenters and judges “I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you.
“I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It’s just been an absolute joy.
“Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back.
“I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give.”
Nikita then said: “I’m just in awe of this girl.
“Sometimes they say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but to me it’s about the company.
“Sam you are the most wonderful company I could have had.”
Sam then added: “I’m guilty of watching the competition and thinking ‘how do they have that relationship as a celebrity and a dancer?’
“All I can say is, the time you spend with each other and what you bring out in each other. It really is, and it sounds dead cheesy, magical.”