Strictly fans accuse judge of 'fixing show'

Fans of Strictly Come Dancing have taken to social media to express their frustration and accuse judge Shirley Ballas of favoritism, claiming that she has been "fixing" the show. The controversy arose after viewers noticed that finalist Ellie Leach had never been in a dance-off throughout the season.

Redditors point out potential bias

On Reddit, users pointed out that Ellie Leach, a 22-year-old Coronation Street star, and her professional partner Vito Coppola, 31, had never faced elimination, leading some to believe that they had public support rather than being favored by the judges. According to some Redditors, both Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse seemed to have their favorites on the show.

Accusations of favoritism

One user wrote, "Motsi never hid her preference for Layton, and Shirley made it very clear that she was rooting for Bobby in the last two shows. While I don't think Craig had a favorite, he always seemed to expect more from Layton." Another user added, "Ellie was in the top two every week, but the judges clearly liked her dancing a great deal. Craig got emotional about her during the final, whereas he was fairly harsh to Layton."

Contestant reactions

On Saturday night, hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced that Ellie Leach had won Strictly Come Dancing 2023. The star, surrounded by her supportive family, clung to her trophy with a beaming smile, clearly delighted with her victory.

While accusations of favoritism continue to circulate, it is important to remember that the show's judging process is designed to be subjective, and each judge has their own criteria for scoring the performances.