Strictly Come Dancing 2023 judges at WAR over fan favourite!

By Kerry Barrett
published

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 viewers were shocked as Craig stood up to Shirley over her 'rude' comments!

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 judges
(Image credit: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 fans don't always agree but this evening they were all saying the same thing about head judge Shirley Ballas!

The viewers were united as they took to social media to express their horror at Shirley's comments about fan fave Nigel Harman and his partner Katya Jones, branding her "rude", "salty" and "uppity"!

And it wasn't just the viewers who thought Shirley was being "harsh"!

Fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood was also quick to criticise Shirley for her "picky" comments! 

With Motsi Mabuse siding firmly with Craig, is this the beginning of a war between the judges?!

Shirley talks as the other judges look on

Neither the fans nor the judges were impressed with Shirley (Image credit: BBC)

Nigel and Katya danced the Viennese waltz in tonight's show, to Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez.

They won praise from the fans, who were thrilled with the performance.

Some viewers even tipped Nigel - who is known for his role as Max Cristie in Casualty, as well as playing Dennis Rickman in EastEnders - to be the next James Bond!

But though three of the judges  loved the dance, head judge Shirley Ballas pulled out her HARSHEST critique for the week-two performance.

She told Nigel he had made "too many technical errors" and criticised his fleckle! The audacity!

And when the audience booed her "salty" criticism she took things even further, telling them to be quiet and listen so they "might learn something"! 

Nigel and Katya dance a Viennese waltz

The fans loved Nigel's dance! (Image credit: BBC)

The fans weren't happy with Shirley's attitude, calling her "uppity" and "rude".

They even questioned why she felt the need to be so rude to the audience!

And fellow judge Craig wasn't impressed with Shirley's comments either.

He said she was "picky, picky, picky" and fellow judge Motsi Mabuse agreed! 

The fans were thrilled with normally critical Craig being nice, and suggested he'd swapped places with Shirley for the evening.

Shirley was harsh to Nigel

Was Shirley unfair? (Image credit: BBC)

"Craig has turned into the nice one," said one amused viewer, while another suggested the pair had a "Freaky Friday situation" referencing the film (starring Jodie Foster or Lindsay Lohan depending on how old you are!) that sees a mum swap places with her moody teenage daughter!

Is this the beginning of a war between the judges?! 

We really hope so! 

The Strictly Come Dancing results show is on BBC One tomorrow (Sunday) at 7.15pm. Check our TV Guide for more information.

Kerry Barrett
Kerry Barrett
Freelance writer

Kerry is a writer, author and editor with a lifelong love of the soaps, a passion for TV drama of all kinds, and an obsessive devotion to Strictly Come Dancing. 

She was features editor of All About Soap magazine for more than a decade, covering every bit of excitement from all the UK soaps and the Aussies and still writes about all the juiciest gossip from the Street, the Square and the Dales whenever she can.

Kerry’s also an author of historical fiction, and her two jobs collided when she got the chance to write two novels based on Emmerdale, and the Sugden, Tate and Dingle families, during WW2.