Controversy follows Shirley Ballas as she faces accusations of sexism
Shirley Ballas, the judge on popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing, is facing a torrent of criticism after awarding low scores to three highly talented female celebrity dancers. This incident comes only a year after she was involved in a sexism row.
Low scores spark outrage and even booing from the studio audience
During the latest episode of Strictly, Shirley gave the lowest scores among all four judges to Zara McDermott, Ellie Leach, and Angela Rippon. The 63-year-old judge was even booed by the show's studio audience. A TV insider commented, "Her scoring surprised many."
Accusations of bias towards young women
A writer on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, accused Shirley of displaying an obvious dislike towards young women. This accusation adds to the controversy surrounding her judging.
Controversial scores despite agreement among other judges
In the case of Zara McDermott, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all gave her a score of six. However, Shirley scored her a five. Similarly, Ellie Leach received three eights from the other judges, but Shirley gave her a seven, matching the score she gave Angela Rippon.
Recalling past criticisms and clarifications
Last year, Shirley faced criticism for stating that she would have saved Richie Anderson instead of Fleur East, contrary to the other judges' decisions. However, a Strictly source asserted that all the judges base their scores purely on the quality of the dancers' performances.
