Katya Jones slams Strictly judges for harsh and ‘unappreciative’ Lewis Cope comments

The Strictly pro has opened up on how she felt about the judges feedback on Strictly Come Dancing It Takes Two

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Katya Jones slams Strictly judges for ‘unappreciative’ Lewis Cope comments(Image: BBC)

Katya Jones has slammed the Strictly Come Dancing judges for their harsh comments about her dance with Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope.

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On the show’s pin-off, It Take Two, she shared how unhappy she was with what they said. Katya and Lewis danced a Viennese Waltz to Teddy Swims’ Lose Control on Saturday’s (4 October) episode.

They scored 27 and the judges had a lot of constructive criticism for the actor, especially Shirley Ballas, who said she wanted more “refinement” and felt the dance was “too aggressive”.

 

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Katya wasn’t happy with the judges’ remarks(Image: BBC)

However, Katya has suggested that the criticism showed the judges to be unappreciative of her choreography, how hard it was and the “hours and hours” Lewis spent learning it.

“As a pro, as a teacher, I really would’ve loved for the judges to vocalise their appreciation for what he did do, for all the steps that he spent hours and hours learning,” she said.

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“And they were there, every single Viennese Waltz step, including the fleckerl that he did on his own, then joined me, the pivots, the naturals, the reverses, all of it.”

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The judges said Lewis’ Viennese Waltz was too aggressive(Image: BBC)

She added that she felt the dance was “right” for them. “Dancing is an art form, it’s an expression for me, and we put this number together the way we felt was right for us.”

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Host Janette Manrara agreed that when you are dancing, you want to do the best you can, but swiftly moved on to discussing their next dance, which will be a Paso Doble inspired by the film, The Mask of Zorro.

Week three on Strictly is Movie Week, where each dance is inspired by a different film. On the show, it was also revealed that Ross King would be dancing a routine based on Thunderbirds.

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The Mask of Zorro has been used during Movie Week before. Danny Mac also danced a Paso to some of the film’s music and scored 36 points.

Like Danny, Lewis is a frontrunner on the show. Some have said they are unhappy with Lewis being on the show, because of his prior dance experience.

Lewis used to compete in hip hop competitions. He is not the only celebrity this year to have prior experience in dance, as Amber Davies has training in musical theatre. Both of them are performing well, though some fans have suggested that the judges are being harsher with them because of their prior training.

The Big Brother star revealed all about his time in the house, ITV wokeness, Charlie Kirk, and why he’s determined not to let the online Left bring him down

“ITV knew exactly what would happen, especially when there was an eviction the first night.”

That was Nathan King’s verdict following the eviction of conservative-leaning Emily Hewertson after a matter of hours into this year’s new series of Big Brother.

 

Described as the “token Tory” by Nathan, ITV bosses put Emily’s political values at the forefront of her promotional materials, inevitably whipping up the vastly liberal audience that still tunes in to reality TV.

And it’s an experience Nathan knows all too well. An “unapologetic” Scottish Tory, he appeared on last year’s series, and once his political alignment was clear, the torrent of abuse followed.

Nathan King spoke exclusively to GB News

| GB NEWS

In the year since his departure, d3ath threats have filled Nathan’s inbox. But when we speak the day after Emily’s Big Brother eviction, it’s clear the vitriol hasn’t dampened his spirit.

We start by discussing Emily’s departure. “I have been watching, and I remember when I entered last year, the first thing I was thinking was, ‘I wonder what people’s reaction was like’, because I’ll never get to experience such shock. And then Emily Hewertson walked in and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I love it!’”

He went on: “I was so disappointed, I must start there, I was so disappointed to see Emily leave because they’ve certainly ‘woked’ up the series this year, I’m going to say. And Emily was, I thought, just the perfect counter to that.

“I predicted there would be one token Tory. It’s really disappointing for Emily, firstly, but then from a viewer perspective as well. I don’t see how anyone’s going to disagree, they’ll all just sit and just nod and say, ‘Yeah, yeah,’ and try and out-woke one another, I imagine.”

Nathan was a finalist on last year’s Big Brother

| ITV

But did ITV set Emily up to fail? “I think ITV knew exactly what would happen, especially when there was an eviction the first night,” Nathan claimed.

“The thing with being a Tory or being Right when going on a platform like Big Brother, you need to survive the first week, and then people get to know you. Because actually, I think in this country we are conservative at heart.

“[Nigel] Farage went on (I’m A Celebrity) and did really well, I think he got to the final three or something. Matt Hancock did it, got to the final as well. So it’s about getting to know them. And they didn’t give Emily that opportunity.

“People say, ‘Why did she make it so political?’ Well, I know from experience that she’ll have spent two hours in that room filming. And she’ll have covered a whole range of topics, and that was what they chose to show because that’s what they wanted.

Emily Hewertson was booted from this year’s Big Brother after a few hours

| ITV

“So I believe that ITV will have known, and I think it’s disappointing as well, because people take Big Brother as if that’s a reflection on society and as if that’s how we all think.

“‘What? No one’s right-wing, and as soon as we can, we’ll get our hands on one of them, we’ll boot them out’. That’s not true. That’s not fair, that’s a fair reflection on a certain audience.”

Despite being a victim of the vitriol that emanates from certain reaches of the online Left, Nathan still maintains that bridges can be built despite differences.

“I am unapologetically what I am and I will not change for anyone,” he defiantly said. “And I went in there with that mindset. I see that just because people disagree in politics doesn’t mean that they can’t be friends and can’t get along.

Big Brother star Nathan King reveals his dream housemate

“And I think that is a problem that the Left has. The Left, if you don’t agree with them on every single issue, then you’re out. You’re no good to them. And I don’t think that’s right, because that completely discourages conversations.”

The d3ath threats towards Nathan haven’t abated even a year on from his stint on the show. On the day of our interview, he reveals he’s received some that day for his opinions on one of this year’s housemates who identifies as trans.

“I’ve had d3ath threats for things I’ve posted online,” he explained. “I posted something last night, because there’s someone who identifies as trans on Big Brother, now, I posted on my social media – they said that they were living proof that it wasn’t a choice to be trans – I disagreed with that.

“I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right, it’s not a choice. I believe it’s a mental illness’. It’s what I think. That was today, and people tell me I should k1ll myself.”

Would Nathan King ever return to the Big Brother house?

But does it ever affect him? “I’ve got skin like a rhino. You can say anything to me, and it just doesn’t bother me. That’s the advice I would give,” he replied.

However, he soon conceded: “It still gets to you. But I think especially since what happened to Charlie Kirk, which was awful, it’s almost emboldened me to think that no, we shouldn’t back down just because people are vile online, and people say things that should actually give us more impetus going forward to get our point across.

“Because you can’t back down to people who are going to threaten you and who are going to be vile to you online.

“It doesn’t mean that you should change what you think. So I think you should just ignore the noise and have courage in your own convictions.”

Charlie Kirk was sh0t and k1lled while speaking to students at Utah Valley University | REUTERSRight-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk was sh0t d3ad while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last month.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested soon after, and President Donald Trump has made clear he’ll be seeking the d3ath p3nalty for whoever is found guilty for the assassination.

Tulilsa Contostavlos has shared further details about why she didn’t remain in Australia with the other I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! stars following her jungle exit.

Fans were surprised when the songwriter and rapper returned to the UK immediately after being eliminated from the ITV show, missing the moment Danny Jones was crowned the winner as well as the party thrown for them at the end of the series.

 

During the wrap party, Contostavlos made a brief appearance when she appeared via a video message from the UK.

She didn’t explain why she hadn’t stuck around in Australia at the time, but has since reflected on her reasons for jetting home sooner than expected.

“I came out, still followed by cameras, all tits and teeth, and it wasn’t until I was on my own that I felt this introvert-overload,” she recalled.

Addressing how distressed she had become, she continued: “I was hyperventilating, crying. It was too much.”

Tulisa decided to return to the UK straight after her jungle exit

She went on to tell The Guardian how she had pondered: “Is this about a fear I have of being in the spotlight? Or is the person I’ve become just not the kind of person that wants fame any more?”

Ahead of the final show, the 36-year-old apologised for missing out on the last bit of time with her “jungle fam”.

“Thank you to @itv for the experience and sending so much love to my Jungle Fam before the final tonight,” she penned on Instagram.

“Sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you all,” the singer signed off.

Tulisa explained she was ‘hyperventilating and crying’ after her stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity

Eagle-eyed fans also noted how Contostavlos seemed to remove all trace of her I’m A Celebrity journey from her social media page.

Speculation mounted about the rapper’s unhappiness with the show based on the move, which she soon denied.

“I haven’t been doing my Instagram, the way that everything is posted and all the random stuff is not the way I do my Insta,” she commented in a video.

She added that she would share highlights from her time on the show once she’d had “a little time to process”.

“I really need to take a bit of time for me and just chill, and this is all feeling a little bit much at the moment,” she admitted.

In her video message to co-stars during the wrap party, which aired on screens a week after the finale, Contostavlos expressed how proud she was of her fellow celebrities.

Tulisa Contostavlos was the only campmate absent from the I’m A Celebrity wrap-up party

“Guys as we know someone isn’t here and that someone is Tulisa but fear not because I’ve got a message from her,” GK Barry told the group.

The singer appeared on screen and said: “Hello everybody, I’m so proud of you all, you’ve absolutely smashed it, now I want you to go and eat yourselves into an oblivion.

“I’m so sorry that I can’t be there so have a big old drink for me. I love you lots like jelly tots and I will see you soon.”

EastEnders’ Kellie Bright exposes heartbreaking fight to secure support for autistic son

Soap star Kellie Bright highlights the struggles parents face securing school support for autistic children in a poignant new BBC Panorama documentary

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Kellie Bright exposes heartbreaking fight to secure support for autistic son(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)

As EastEnders’ Linda Carter, actor Kellie Bright has faced heartbreak, grief and despair. However, no soap storyline could prepare her for the frustration, anxiety and heartache of trying to fight for her Autistic son’s education.

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Kellie’s little boy has been diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia but despite this, she has struggled to secure an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) for him, which would entitle him to extra support.

Now Kellie, 49, has filmed a documentary for Panorama examining the exhausting and expensive fight parents face just to get their children the right help at school.

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Kellie tells cameras: “I’ve wanted to make a documentary about special needs for a really long time. I have a son, he is autistic, he has ADHD and he’s dyslexic. To try and get the support you need you have to fight every step of the way.

 

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Kellie has said that she has wanted to make a documentary about special needs for a really long time(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC)

“I hear from lots and lots of families how the system is broken, how things need to change so I want to shine a light on it, I want to speak to families who are suffering. I am very fortunate to be in a position because of my job that I do have a voice, I do have a platform and I want to use it.”

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The government is in the process of reforming the Special Educational Needs system, which parents say is failing their children, despite it costing £12 billion every year. On Friday (3 Oct 25) The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the figure would rise by £3bn a year by 2029.

One in five pupils (1.7 million) in England get some kind of support for special educational needs in school at the moment, and councils are footing the cost. Many councils blame the rising costs of SEND support for debts that run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

The IFS is predicting that the proportion of pupils with EHCPs will rise even further in the next four years, to 8 per cent of all pupils aged four to 16. However, for many parents, like Kellie, getting an EHCP is a difficult and frustrating task.

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Kellie says on the show: “When we tried for an EHCP for my son, we also ended up heading for a tribunal because the council refused to assess him. I have to say that left me feeling really angry. Then I felt frustrate,d and then I felt like I was letting my son down.”

After Kellie and her husband, Paul Stocker, started proceedings to take the local authority to a tribunal, they suddenly agreed to assess her son.

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Kellie with Charis’s parents on her new eye-opening documentary(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC)

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She was so emotional that she recorded her reaction on her Instagram account, telling followers, “I have just received an email to say they have agreed to assess my son. It has been 8 months of such hard work and perseverance and fighting to get to this point.”

Reflecting on the fight to get her son the help he needs in school, Kellie tells the documentary: “One of the main things is that as a parent you feel completely and utterly powerless. Powerless to move things forward, powerless to help your child, and because of that, it’s an extremely frustrating system to have to work with.”

Kellie meets lots of parents in a similar position. Many educate their children at home because local authorities are unable or unwilling to offer them a place that is appropriate for their needs. Parents with children out of school are often forced out of the workplace.

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Kellie says: “More than half of parents of autistic children have had to take time off work to support their child.”

From the families Kellie meets, all are exhausted, tearful and feeling hopeless about their situations. Councils often force families to take them to tribunal to get EHCPs – even though 99 per cent of cases that reach tribunal are won by families.

One father, called Lee, tells Kellie he suspects his local council is trying to wear them out to avoid paying for help for their daughter, who is, at the time of the film, not in education.

Kellie with mother Heather and her daughter Etta(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC)

Lee, whose daughter Charis is autistic, says, “I think there is a deliberate policy of fatigue because they know that not every parent will come back for appeal so they lose some. So now we are fighting against the local authority because we’re fighting for our daughter.

“But in battles people get hurt. So that deliberate and I think it is a deliberate policy of fatigue is hurting families and parents and it’s got to be better than that.”

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Kellie goes to meet Georgia Gould who is the Minister of State at the Department of Education, as of last month. She tells Kellie: “I can’t give you all the details of all the different reforms we’re doing because we’ve got a process we’re working on with families.

“We want to honour that what I can tell you is we’re really dedicated to supporting children early to make sure there is accountability in the system.

“Within the reforms we’re not taking support away from families, we’re wanting to put more support in earlier where people have fought for support and that support is in place we want to make sure it continues,” she adds.

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Kellie first joined eastenders in 2013(Image: BBC)

When Kellie tells her that parents have “high anxiety” about the reforms, Georgia insists the new system will still have a legal basis for support.

She promises Kellie: “There has to be a legal basis for parents to get support, but what we really want to work with parents on to get right is, where does that accountability happen? How can we get support in at the earliest possible point rather than having the battle?”

This Morning star Jeff Brazier slammed by viewers as Ben Shepherd urges producers to “cut the feed”

Things went a little wrong…

This Morning viewers took to social media to hit out at Jeff Brazier during today’s show (Monday, October 6).

The TV star, 46, is currently doing a tour of the UK as part of the show’s competition segment. But the smiley star appeared to rub some disgruntled viewers up the wrong way!

Jeff hosted the competition segment today (Credit: ITV)

Jeff Brazier backlash after This Morning appearance

Today’s edition of This Morning saw Jeff reporting live from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

To celebrate the show’s competition segment, where viewers could win £500,000, Jeff will be travelling 500 miles, from Balmoral Castle to Buckingham Palace via different forms of transport.

The first segment featuring Jeff saw him outside Balmoral Castle, explaining that he was “doing what I love”. He then revealed that he would be cycling from the castle to his next destination.

Later in the show, Jeff appeared once again, this time in Blairgowrie, Scotland, some 50 miles from Balmoral Castle.

Jeff travelled 50 miles to his next destination (Credit: ITV)

Jeff’s 500-mile journey

However, Jeff admitted that he hadn’t cycled all the way from Balmoral to Blairgowrie, as he wouldn’t have made it in time. However, clips were shown of Jeff cycling on roads, as he confessed he’d “had a little pedal”.

The star’s next mode of transport was a Vespa moped; however, viewers didn’t get to see him ride it, as he was on a busy road and couldn’t get the bike to move! Hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley seemed uncomfortable watching Jeff on a Vespa without his helmet on, urging producers to “cut the stream”!

When Jeff next appeared, he was in Perthshire, Scotland, although he admitted he was meant to be in Perth. He said that he hadn’t got along with the Vespa and the Morris Minor they were going to use to travel to the next destination had been damaged after hitting a pothole.

Jeff then stuck his thumb out, hoping for a lift to the next location!

The final time viewers saw Jeff today, he was at Scone Castle in Perth, enjoying some scones.

Jeff was slammed after ‘cheating’ on his challenge (Credit: ITV)

‘Jeff’s a cheat!’

Jeff’s appearances on the show today ended with him in the broken-down Morris Minor, on the back of a trailer, being driven away from the castle.

In total, Jeff travelled 60 miles today, however, some viewers weren’t happy with how little travelling in various modes of transport the star seemed to be doing.

“Jeff’s a [bleep]ing cheat!” one viewer fumed.

“#ThisMorning back to Jeff, ‘well here we are in Manchester….’,” another joked. 

“I’m expecting Jeff to be doing the next leg of this ‘pretendy’ road trip to Buckingham Palace on a space hopper,” a third wrote.

“Ha ha, something’s definitely going wrong behind the scenes. Feels like they’ve abandoned at least one competition update from Jeff,” another added.

Oti Mabuse slams hypocrite trolls who ‘judged’ her for taking on ITV I’m a Celebrity away from baby daughter

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has spoken out against the cruel “mum-shaming” she experienced during her stint on ITV I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! last year.

The South African professional dancer, 34, appeared on the show just a year after the birth of her daughter, who was delivered prematurely and spent six weeks in hospital.

 

Despite proving popular with viewers and finishing fourth in the competition, Mabuse revealed she faced harsh criticism for spending several weeks away from her young child.

Speaking to The Sun, Mabuse revealed: “I definitely was judged. And there were so many fathers in there, too.”

Mabuse has opened up about hypocritical trolls who ‘judged’ her I’m a Celeb appearance

She pointed out the double standard, noting that other parents, including Danny Jones and Alan Halsall, were also in the jungle

“These people don’t know me or my relationship or my home situation. The response from everyone seemed to be, ‘How could you leave your baby?’” she said.

Hitting back at the trolls, Mabuse defended working mothers everywhere.

“I have to go to work. If I don’t, we don’t eat,” she stated firmly.

“Working does not take away from the fact I love my child, but she knows that Mummy goes to work and she goes to nursery,” Mabuse explained.

The dancer also expressed frustration at the implication that only mothers need to be with their children.

Mabuse revealed her husband Marius was fully supportive of her jungle adventure and hoped her daughter would grow up seeing her mother as a positive role model.

“It’s good to teach her that she’s got to be a strong woman. I hope she looks up to me and sees that her mum works hard.

“She’s happy. She is my number one priority,” Mabuse affirmed.

Mabuse’s daughter was born prematurely in November 2023, arriving early with an infection that required six weeks in intensive care.

The family was finally able to bring their daughter home on Christmas Eve 2023.

During the series, the 34-year-old described the “traumatic” early birth of her daughter as “one of the scariest” times of her life.

While speaking with the Rev Richard Coles, she recalled: “My daughter was really, really tiny when she was born.

“It’s hell. It’s hell to be in the hospital, to hear those sounds, to not see your baby’s eyes for a week, it’s hell to constantly look for advice from the doctors.”

Holding back tears, she remembered the fear of having to “leave your baby in someone else’s hands”.

As a result, she explained she and her husband have become incredibly “protective” of their daughter.

Mabuse left Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 after a successful career on the BBC show.

She subsequently joined the ITV Dancing On Ice judging panel, where she has been for four years.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Dancing On Ice would be coming to an end after 19 years.

He’s ‘unable to be the main comic as he usually is with his dance partners’

Strictly Come Dancing pro Aljaž Škorjanec is said to be “struggling” with his partnership on the BBC One show, according to a body language expert.

The Slovenian dancer first joined the glitzy series back in 2013 and has been partnered with several famous faces like Abbey Clancy, Alison Hammond and Call the Midwife star Helen George. After quitting in 2021, Aljaž made a comeback in 2024.

For the 2025 series, Aljaž is dancing with the hilarious drag queen La Voix – but a body language expert has now hinted that there could be tension brewing behind-the-scenes…

La Voix has become a firm favourite (Credit: BBC)

Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec and La Voix chemistry questioned

On Saturday evening (October 4), Aljaž was back on the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor with La Voix. The pair performed a Jive to Objection (Tango) by Shakira.

The routine went down well with fans and the judges. And as she received their feedback, the hilarious La Voix dished out her usual tongue-in-cheek insults and digs.

She also brought up a few of the mistakes they made in the dance. After, Aljaž declared: “Why would you tell them?!”

But it seems La Voix’s extrovert personality could be causing some trouble behind the scenes, according to a body language expert.

Aljaž could be ‘struggling’ according to a body language expert (Credit: BBC)

Aljaž ‘struggling’ with partner

Speaking on behalf on Paddy Power Games, body language expert Judi James pointed out that Aljaž seems to be “struggling”.

She said: “La Voix is relaxed and hilarious at the end of the routines. But Aljaz is clearly and rather oddly struggling panting, sweating, bending double to catch his breath and unable to be the main comic as he usually is with his dance partners.”

Hinting at potential “straight talking off camera”, Judi then noted: “His wary expression when La Voix admitted to mistakes suggested scope for some straight talking off camera.

“His eyes widened in shock as he looked away.”

The expert also pointed out how La Voix broke a rule which could “scupper the judges’ votes” and annoy the pro.

She explained: “The rule in Strictly is to wait for the judges to notice any mistakes, not volunteer the information. A good gag is a good gag but maybe not when it threatens to scupper the judges’ votes.”

Nadiya Bychkova unleashes shock rant after landing in bottom two: ‘Let me be perfectly clear’

Nadiya set the record straight!

Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has hit back at reports that suggested she had “slammed” experienced dancers on the show.

On Sunday (October 5), Nadiya and her celeb partner Chris Robshaw faced the bottom two alongside Amy Dowden and Thomas Skinner. However, they were saved by the panel of judges.

A day prior, The Sun published an interview with the Ukrainian dancer, who alleged that she took a “swipe” at contestants with experience. The article claimed she said the show is for “people who have never danced”.

Nadiya and Chris landed themselves in the bottom two last weekend (Credit: BBC)

Strictly star Nadiya Bychkova responds to ‘twisted’ reports

In an Instagram post shared last night, Nadiya shared a photo of herself and Chris on the dancefloor from Saturday night.

In her lengthy caption, she set the record straight on the reports.

“You may have seen some stories in the papers suggesting that I have ‘slammed experienced celebs’ or ‘waded into a row over trained celebrities’ or ‘criticised producers’. It is interesting to see it twisted like that because, to be perfectly clear, I haven’t,” Nadiya said.

“I love the fact that Strictly is for people of all abilities and one of my great joys in life is teaching people to dance. It’s great to have celebrities with some experience on the show and it’s also beautiful to see how people like Chris, who have never danced and performed before, improve.”

She concluded: “That is what Strictly is all about and that is why it is loved by millions of people.”

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A post shared by Nadiya Bychkova (@nadiyabychkova)

‘That is why we all adore you’

Following the upload, Nadiya was supported by her Strictly co-stars.

“You’re the most gracious and kindest woman I have ever met,” Amber Davies wrote, who many believed Nadiya was reportedly swiping.

Host Tess Daly and former contestant Sophie Ellis-Bextor also commented with multiple clapping emoji.

Meanwhile, one fan shared: “And that is why we all adore you. For anyone who knows you, you have the sweetest soul and your passion for helping others shines through.”

“You are the most magical, kind-hearted, beautiful person I know! Keep being you, always,” another expressed.

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Shirley Ballas has been a core component of the show since 2017(Image: ITV)

Shirley Ballas has been supported as she shared some sad news. The Strictly Come Dancing head judge first appeared on the show in 2017 and soon became a hit with fans. The 65-year-old dancer, who hails from Wallasey, regularly shares aspects of her busy life away from showbiz to her 386,000 followers on Instagram.

The head judge returned to screens last month for another show-stopping series of the hit BBC dancing show. 15 new celebrities took to the dancefloor for the first time, as the judges gave their verdict on each routine.

Tom and Amy became the first couple to be eliminated from this year’s series following a salsa to Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal which earned them 13 points from the judges on Saturday night. Thomas was voted into the dance-off against former England rugby star Chris Robshaw and his partner Nadiya Bychkova.

Shirley Ballas took to social media earlier today to share a message “with a heavy heart” as she revealed the loss of a “dear friend and true industry legend, Michael Wentink.” Wentink was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing in South Africa and has died at the age of 46.

In a statement on Instagram, Shirley wrote: “Feeling very sad this morning, after the loss of our dear friend and true industry legend, Michael Wentink [heartbroken emoji]… where do I even begin.

“Michael wasn’t just part of my life, he was like family. He wasn’t just an incredible dancer, he was a kind, caring soul who brought so much joy, warmth, and laughter into our lives.

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“His loyalty and love were unmatched, and his smile was irreplaceable. He spent many days at my house, he loved the children and would forever be checking in. One of the kindest souls I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with.

“I’ll never forget suggesting this aqua suit to Michael, and he just laughed saying, ‘Let’s give it a go, Shirls.’ @alanate11 did hair and as a team we all pulled it together so very beautifully. Michael and Beata danced magnificently and won. That’s a day I’ll carry with me forever.

“You touched so many lives, Michael, and I’m blessed to have been one of them. With a heavy heart, I’ll miss you deeply. Rest in peace, my friend, alongside your beautiful Beata. Forever in our hearts. X.”

Many of Shirley’s Strictly Come Dancing co-stars rushed to the comments to send their support. Professional dancers Karen Hauer and Vito Coppola added red love heart emojis.

La Voix, who is taking part in the current series with Aljaž Škorjanec wrote: “Sending lots of love to you darling.” Previous contestant Ashley Roberts said: “Sending love. Love watching you dance.”

Hundreds of fans also sent their love and kind wishes. One fan said: “So sorry to hear this Shirley! Sending you lots of love. Rest in peace Michael.” Another wrote: “Beautiful words sending love.”

Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse came under fire after remarks she made to pregnant pro Dianne Buswell and her celebrity partner Stefan Dennis

 

A body language expert believes Motsi Mabuse’s comment left Dianne Buswell frustrated (Image: BBC)

Motsi Mabuse telling Dianne Buswell and Stefan Dennis to rehearse more was the “final straw”, claims a body language expert. The Strictly Come Dancing judge sparked fury after suggesting that the pregnant professional and her celebrity partner needed to increase their practice time following their performance in Saturday night’s show. Dianne and Stefan, 66, who is the oldest contestant to be competing in this year’s series, performed a Cha Cha to Give It Up by KC and The Sunshine Band, earning a mere 17 points from the judging panel.

While Motsi praised the duo’s partnership, she pointed out several small mistakes during the routine. When the auditorium erupted with boos, the 44-year-old declared: “There were guys, sorry, let’s just be honest. Just let’s try next time to rehearse and stick to the routine.” The Australian professional, who is expecting her first child with Joe Sugg, quickly challenged Motsi’s remarks as she fired back: “I don’t know how much more we can rehearse, Motsi!”

Motsi claimed the couple needed to rehearse more (Image: PA)

But Motsi only persisted: “Find a way, I don’t know, we have to get one performance without those tiny tiny creepers in there.”

Analysing Dianne’s body language throughout the interaction, Judi James observed that Motsi’s comment appeared to frustrate the 36-year-old, who showed a forced smile and a tired posture.

Speaking exclusively to Paddy Power Games, the body language expert said: “Motsi’s comment ‘Try to rehearse’ looked like the last straw for Dianne, who performed an overkill smile that was more an angry baring of the teeth than an expression of pleasure, and collapsed from the waist in a gesture of exhaustion.

“When she straightened, she had one hand balled into a fist and placed on her hip in a gesture that can look aggressive or confrontational and there was a tongue-poke gesture to suggest she rejected the idea of not rehearsing. Dianne is a grafter and the comment appeared wounding.

Dianne and Stefan earned 17 points for their performance (Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

“It was Dianne’s body language during the results that suggested she was the one most expecting to be voted out this week. Her eye gaze was aimed in a reflective direction, and her closed lip smile was a ‘bravado’ smile.”

Motsi’s comment also sparked fury among viewers, who took to social media to express their frustrations.

One fumed: “Such a horrible comment to make. That will make people think they haven’t put the time in.”

A second weighed in: “I thought Strictly capped the amount of hours they could rehearse to 8 hours a day? So how can the judges be giving out comments like ‘you need to rehearse more’ when they’ve been doing their 8 hours a day… every day. They aren’t allowed.”

Another added: “I feel like telling the eldest contestant with the pregnant pro to rehearse more when they have been doing long days, and it’s clear it was because of nerves and not lack of rehearsal is an extremely unfair thing to say.”

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