Shirley Ballas facing viewer backlash after giving low scores to top female dancers a year after sexism storm
STRICTLY judge Shirley Ballas has faced a backlash over low scores to three top female celebrity dancers.
It comes a year after she was involved in another sexism row.
On Saturday, Shirley gave the lowest points out of all four judges for Zara McDermott, Ellie Leach and Angela Rippon.
Shirley, 63, was even booed by the BBC1 show’s studio audience and a TV insider said: “Her scoring surprised many.”
One writer on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: “Shirley’s dislike for young women is so obvious.”
Zara got three sixes from Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke — but Shirley scored her a five.
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Ellie got three eights, but Shirley gave her a seven — with Angela earning the same marks.
Last year, Shirley was criticised for saying she’d have saved Richie Anderson when the others saved Fleur East.
A Strictly source said: “All of the judges are hugely experienced individuals who judge on dance and dance alone. Any conspiracy theories circulating via social media suggesting otherwise are simply untrue.”
