Shirley Ballas says she was left 'mortified' as she…

Shirley Ballas says she was left 'mortified' as she insists fellow BBC Strictly judges 'got it wrong'

It was a decision that raised eyebrows at the weekend, when Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas said she would have saved Loose Women star Kaye Adams over singer Matt Goss in the first dreaded dance-off of the series. The second live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 led to decision time as the first celeb departed the dancefloor.

After the judges’ scores were added to those from the launch week, and then combined with the results of the viewers’ votes, Kaye and her dance partner Kai Widdrington performed their charleston to Music! Music! Music! by Dorothy Provine again in a bid to stay in the running.

Then, Matt and his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova reprised their Samba to Night Fever by the Bee Gees in a bid to impress the judges and remain in the competition. After both couples had danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts.

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Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse all chose to save Matt and Nadiya. So with three votes to Matt and Nadiya, it meant they had won the majority vote and Kaye and Kai would be leaving the competition regardless.

However Shirley said she would have decided to save Kaye and Kai. 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."

She insists her colleagues got it wrong over Kaye and Kai decision (BBC)

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????"

Shirley, nicknamed The Queen of Latin after winning a host of titles, took a seat on BBC's The One Show on Wednesday (October 5) to talk Strictly. She admitted to hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas that she was left 'mortified' by Kaye's departure and insisted that her colleagues 'got it wrong.'

"I felt on the evening they both made mistakes," she said. "But he quality of Kaye was by far superior on that evening and I was absolutely mortified that she left to be quite honest."

She added: "I love my fellow judges but In my opinion that was one they didn't get right." Praising Kaye she said: "She had the most beautiful movement."

When asked by Tess about their time on the show, Kaye said: “It was the right result and I did make mistakes, and when it comes to that high pressured situation that’s what happens. So I am delighted for Matt and Nadiya, the only person I am just sorry for is this wonderful man [Kai], who has just been so brilliant.

"It was a hell of a lot of fun, I said my ambition was to learn to love to dance, and actually I have seen a whole new side to myself, it’s opened a little door. It’s been a wonderful experience and to spend time with such talented people who love the show so much has been a joy!"

On The One Show Shirley went on to delight viewers as she got fellow guest Good Morning Britain presenter Ben Shephard to his feet to dance to the Strictly theme music. She was so impressed she awarded him 11 out of 10 for his moves.

"This man can dance. He was doing very very well," she enthused. And there were calls to get him on the show as a contestant. @ResaChuks said: "This is definitely what I needed on a gloomy Wednesday evening, the lovely Shirley Ballas & Ben Hottie Shephard (now snake hips) giving us a good old shimmy."

@AmyJoanne__praised: "Ben got the moves! Sign him up for strictly next year!" @suzysasha cheered: "#TheOneShow Get Ben on @bbcstrictly!"

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