Strictly Come Dancing judges against a pink background

Strictly Come Dancing judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke have been branded “unfair” by a former show pro.

After this weekend’s shock dance-off – which saw Amber Davies and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink in the bottom two – the judges’ scoring has now been questioned by ex-pro dancer Brendan Cole.

And he reckons the judges are seriously lacking in “consistency”.

The Strictly judges sitting on the panel
Scoring decisions made by Craig, Motsi, Shirley and Anton of late have been criticised (Credit: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing judges blasted

Speaking on behalf of Sky Vegas, Brendan suggested that perhaps technique and performance should be marked separately. He thinks, as a result, we’d seen a more consistent score and a more balanced leaderboard.

“The biggest problem with the judging panel is lack of consistency. So if they marked separately for technical ability and performance, then added those scores, it would make far more sense,” he said.

Explaining further, Brendan then added: “For example, that Argentine tango was technically average but performed well – so you’d give it a five for technique and an eight for performance, averaging seven. That’s fair.

“But the way it is now, it’s all over the place. Couples work hard all week, and then a judge gives another couple a high score for a weak dance, which can completely change the result. It’s not fair on the pros or the celebs who are giving everything.”

Strictly Come Dancing judges against a pink background
The quartet also come under fire from viewers as a result of their scoring (Credit: BBC)

‘It’s lost a bit of the magic’

Speaking about the differences between now and when he left the show in 2018, Brendan said: “It’s hard to compare because the show is so different now. Back in my day, it was more innocent. The set was simpler, the format was purer, and ballroom was the heart of the show.

“Now it’s this huge spectacle where they throw everything at it. And that’s fine – shows have to evolve,” he quickly added. “But as a result I do think it’s lost a bit of the magic. We used to do proper ballroom numbers that really captured the essence of Strictly.

“These days, with things like Couple’s Choice, you sometimes get routines that just don’t fit. When I see dances where the partners don’t even touch each other, I think, that’s not what Strictly is about. It’s supposed to be about connection and partnership, not just waving your arms around like a TikTok routine,” he then concluded.