Strictly Come Dancing got a dose of Richard Madeley’s bluntness on It Takes Two tonight as the presenter tore into the judging panel for their treatment of Balvinder Sopal. Appearing alongside Fleur East, Richard insisted the EastEnders actress has been “consistently underrated and underscored” throughout the competition — and he made it very clear he thinks the judges have got it wrong. In a moment that had viewers raising eyebrows, Richard said: “I think Balvinder had been consistently underrated and underscored.
“She’s had good scores, but I think she’s been underscored by the judges, and she’s clearly been underrated by the viewers because she keeps ending up in the dance-off.” He added that he’s “never understood” why she keeps landing in the bottom two, saying: “I think she’s one of the best, I think she’s really good.” But the compliment came with a warning. With Bal and partner Jules set to perform a Jive tomorrow night on the BBC show, Richard admitted he’s not convinced the dance will suit her.
Calling her “full of natural warmth and grace and charm,” he said she’s “beautiful when she moves around the floor” — but feared the fast footwork could trip her up: “I’m not sure the jive is her thing, so I think she might struggle. I don’t think she’ll get a 10.”
Fans chimed in on the fierce rant, with many agreeing with the TV star. One penned on X: “I actually kind of get where Richard is coming from with the Jive regarding Bal if I’m being honest.
“Bal is warm & her movements are so lovely,which is opposite to what’s needed I guess with the jive. I think she’ll bring the energy tho & absolutely smash it. Go #TeamBalian”.
Another echoed: “Also acknowledging that Bal has been underscored, underrated and didn’t deserve to be in the DOs. Absolutely all of this” And the timing couldn’t be worse.
Balvinder is currently the bookies’ clear favourite to be eliminated this weekend — a grim forecast that adds even more pressure ahead of Saturday night.
According to fresh odds from Betway, she sits at 250/1 to leave the competition, making her the most vulnerable celebrity heading into the live show.
But she isn’t alone in the danger zone. Alex Kingston follows at 33/1, while Amber Davies is at 20/1 to exit before the semi-final, which is now just two weeks away. None of the three can afford a slip-up, placing huge weight on their next performances.
Meanwhile, the predicted finalists look much steadier. George Clarke, Karen Carney and Lewis Cope remain the frontrunners to reach the grand final, reports Wales Online.
Also on tonight’s It Takes Two, Fleur welcomed Lewis & Katya and Alex & Johannes to the sofa. Alex is preparing to dance a Cha Cha Cha while Sammi Kinghorn and Sara Davies also featured during the episode.
