Strictly Come Dancing returned on Sunday night (November 16) and fans were left unimpressed by some of Shirley Ballas’ comments
Strictly’s Shirley Ballas in hot water over comments to ‘distraught’ Vicky Pattison(Image: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing viewers have slammed Shirley Ballas after her remarks to a visibly upset celebrity on the programme.
The sparkly BBC One series made its return on Sunday evening (November 16) to announce which famous face had been booted from the contest.
Following Saturday evening’s episode (November 15), Love Island star Amber Davies and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin topped the scoreboard, whilst soap favourite Lewis Cope and Katya Jones claimed runner-up spot.
Meanwhile, EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal and reality television personality Vicky Pattison both found themselves languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard with 27 points alongside their respective dance partners.
Vicky found herself in the dance-off
Yet when the results programme aired, it was Balvinder and Vicky who faced the dreaded dance-off, reports Wales Online.
Prior to repeating their performances, the judging panel offered guidance to both pairs. Nevertheless, it was Shirley’s remarks that sparked viewer backlash.
She declared: “For you Vicky you look a little bit distraught there, you’ve got wipe it out! Forget it, it’s a new dance, a new day. So for both couples give it your all.”
Shirley was slammed by fans
Audiences weren’t having any of Shirley’s observation. One furious viewer took to X: “Does shirley think that continuing to point out someone’s anxiety and basically tell them to just get over it on the spot is actually helpful…???”
Another posted: “Shirley saying Vicky looks distraught,” accompanied by an image of someone looking stunned. Meanwhile, a third disgruntled fan criticised Shirley for her comment to Balvinder – who has been in the dance-off multiple times: “Balvinder’s kind of a little experienced of this so I’m sure she knows what to come.”
Vicky was sent home(Image: BBC)
A social media user responded to the remark, writing: “Not Shirley making a joke about Bal being in the dance-off again.”
After both pairs had performed again, the judges chose to eliminate Vicky, ensuring that Balvinder and Julian secured their spot at Strictly’s annual Blackpool spectacular next weekend.
When Tess asked about her experience on the show, Vicky shared: “It was so lovely while it lasted, and I’ve had the nicest time. I knew this week was a difficult one for me, and I tried my hardest as I have every week.
“Listen, I didn’t think I’d get past week one. And I’m really honoured to have shared this experience with so many amazing people. Mostly with this fella [Kai] right here. I don’t want to sound too cheesy but [to Kai] you’ve been the best partner a girl can ask for. I’m so sorry I didn’t get you to Blackpool but I feel like I’ve won just by having you as my partner and I’m so grateful.”
