Strictly Come Dancing fans flocked to Twitter in outrage following Sunday night's shock dance-off. Viewers were stunned as Richie Anderson and his dance partner Giovanni Pernice and Fleur East and Vito Coppola were asked to reprise their third week dances again after the red light of doom landed on them.
After the result was calculated through a mix of audience vote and panel scores, the couples danced again. BBC Radio 2 presenter Richie and Giovanni performed their samba to Hakuna Matata from The Lion King again. Then singer and Hits Radio presenter Fleur and Vito reprised their American Smooth to Part Of Your World from The Little Mermaid in a bid to remain in the competition.
Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse all chose to save Fleur and Vito, who had been early favourites to lift the glitterball. This meant they had won the majority vote, sending Richie and Strictly's reigning champion Giovanni home in the second dance-off of the series.
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But there were shockwaves when, as is customary, host Tess Daly asked head judge Shirley Ballas for her decision and she said she would have saved Richie and Giovanni. Queen of Latin Shirley said: "Well with the two couples the public put in the bottom two I would have saved Richie and Giovanni.”
Tess pointed out: "Of course it makes no difference to the result." But many fans of the BBC dance contest were fuming, with some calling for her to be replaced.
@ChloRida_ asked on Twitter: "I'm sorry, but can the producers replace Shirley next year?" @Ms_Mannion echoed: "Shirley Ballas should be removed from the panel." @JanieG1961 decided: "Reckon Shirley's had her day." And @richbluecoast asked: "How do we vote off Shirley?!"
@SHELLLLT asked: "Can we just make Craig head judge already?" @hiro2up yelled: "Get out of Strictly!" and @reelofthe51st gasped: "Shirley would have kicked out Fleur? Whaaaaat?"
@SAPPHSUKI wondered: "Shirley would rather have saved the men darting around in animal costumes than the technically skilled and beautiful dancer Fleur?" @Jordaniaxxxxx said: "Done my Strictly catch up and all I can say is: does someone want to have a word with Shirley???"
@fipunchard asked: "Have the producers told Shirley that this year she has to say she'd save the other couple if the other three don't? Two weeks now not unanimous when clearly one of the bottom two out danced the other."
But @henweb said: "The Twitter anger towards Shirley Ballas tonight is BONKERS. They’ve been voted off so she can give them a sympathetic nod at the end, no harm done."
Last weekend in a decision that previously raised eyebrows, Shirley said she would have saved Loose Women star Kaye Adams over singer Matt Goss in the first dance-off. Her fellow judges all chose to save Matt and Nadiya. So with three votes to Matt and Nadiya, and it meant Kaye and Kai would be leaving the competition regardless.
However Shirley said she would have decided to save them. When asked if she agreed with the other judges, Shirley said at the time: "I didn’t." Host Tess Daly asked: "You didn't?" And Shirley explained: "I thought due to a little better quality, I would have saved Kaye and Kai."
Fans watching at home were amazed by her decison. @Stubbsisgo tweeted: "Im shocked Shirley would have saved Kaye and Kai!" @LPyndsey commented: "Shirley makes the strangest decisions sometimes, Kaye literally forgot half the routine and just stood about for some bits...and she would have saved them?!" And @Jordaniaxxxxx asked: "Ummmm so what exactly did Shirley see????"
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