Fans of Strictly Come Dancing are accusing the show's judges of "playing favourites" this year, with viewers claiming that contestants' mistakes are being ignored, particularly in the case of Layton Williams. During Saturday night's episode, the West End star and his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin received an almost perfect score of 39 for their performance on the iconic Blackpool dancefloor. However, some viewers were left furious after they discovered that Layton and Nikita had topped the leaderboard.
Controversial scoring
A Reddit thread titled "Anyone else find the booing of Craig annoying?" saw one user express their frustration with the judges' scoring. They claimed that Layton was out of sync with Nikita, and accused the female judges of favoritism. While Anton Du Beke, Shirley Ballas, and Motsi Mabuse all gave Layton and Nikita a perfect 10, Craig Revel Horwood opted for a nine. This difference in scores left many fans questioning the judges' impartiality.
A surprising routine
In addition to the controversial scoring, fans were also shocked by Layton's pole dancing during the routine. Social media platforms, such as X, were flooded with comments from viewers expressing their awe and surprise. Many admitted that they were not expecting to see a pole routine on the Blackpool stage, and praised Layton and Nikita for their daring performance.
Angela Rippon eliminated
TV personality Angela Rippon became the latest star to be eliminated from the competition. She joins a growing list of eliminated contestants, including Bobby Brazier, Ellie Leach, Annabel Croft, Nigel Harman, and Angela Scanlon. Meanwhile, Layton continues to compete for the coveted Strictly Come Dancing trophy.
Strictly Come Dancing will continue to air on BBC One on Saturday nights.
