Head Judge Faces Backlash Over Annabel Croft’s Surprise Exit

In a fresh wave of controversy, Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas finds herself at the center of a sexism row after deciding to eliminate former tennis star Annabel Croft in the semi-final, denying her a coveted spot in the show’s final. This move comes amid previous accusations in the series of Ballas marking down female contestants.

The tension peaked as second favorite Annabel, 57, and her professional partner Johannes Radebe, 36, faced off against EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier, 20, and Dianne Buswell, 34. Judges Motsi Mabuse, 42, and Anton Du Beke, 57, voted to save Bobby, while Craig Revel Horwood, 58, supported Annabel and Johannes. The final decision rested with Shirley Ballas, who, using her casting vote, chose to eliminate Annabel.

Addressing her decision during the results show, Shirley commented, “I thought both couples were absolutely extraordinary. I felt that both couples lifted their performance. I thought there was technical qualities on both sides, improvements galore. But again, one tiny mistake coming out of a pivot turn — and therefore my decision would be to save Bobby and Dianne.”

Craig Revel Horwood, however, expressed a differing view, stating, “Based on this dance alone, the person which I think had the most exquisite technique is Annabel and Johannes.” Despite the contrasting opinions, Bobby Brazier advanced to the final.

This isn’t the first time Shirley Ballas has faced criticism for her judging. Earlier in the series, she gave the lowest scores to former newsreader Angela Rippon, 79, former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, 22, and media personality Zara McDermott, 26. Last year, she attracted controversy for suggesting she would have saved Richie Anderson, 36, when other judges chose singer-songwriter Fleur East, 36.

A Strictly source debunked conspiracy theories, stating, “All of the judges are hugely experienced individuals who judge on dance and dance alone. Any conspiracy theories circulating via social media suggesting otherwise are simply untrue.”

With Bobby progressing to the final, viewers are gearing up for an exciting showdown, featuring hot favorites Ellie and Vito Coppola, 31, alongside Bad Education star Layton Williams, 29, and Nikita Kuzmin, 25.