In the glittering world of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing, where sequins sparkle and scores soar, one judge’s sharp tongue just crossed a line that left fans fuming. Craig Revel-Horwood, the no-holds-barred critic known for his biting feedback, found himself in hot water after unleashing what viewers called a “sexist” and downright cruel jab at actress Alex Kingston during Halloween Week.
The drama unfolded as Alex, 62—the beloved star from ER—hit the dance floor with her pro partner Johannes Radebe. Channeling fiery energy, the duo delivered a sizzling Salsa to “Horny” by Hot ‘N’ Juicy and Mousse T. While head judge Shirley Ballas and fellow panelists Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse showered them with praise, Craig wasn’t having it. His verdict? “It was like watching a woman go through a midlife crisis.”
Ouch. Alex tried to brush it off with a chuckle and a playful grimace toward the judge, but the audience at home? They weren’t laughing. Social media exploded with backlash, branding Craig’s comment as “awful and really unnecessary.” One viewer tweeted, “I don’t want to sound like a friend that’s too woke but Craig’s ‘midlife crisis’ comment about Alex felt kinda misogynistic.” Another fired back, “It was misogynistic ageism,” while a third simply raged, “It was awful and really unnecessary.”
But the controversy didn’t stop with Craig. Fans also turned their ire toward head judge Shirley Ballas, 65, spotting what they believed were simmering “feuds” with certain pros and celebs. During Icons Week, Shirley drew boos from the live crowd—and online fury—after critiquing pro dancer Karen Hauer and her partner, Gladiators hunk Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 27.
The pair wowed with an Argentine Tango to Usher’s “Caught Up,” earning massive cheers and enough public votes to stay safe. Yet Shirley dismissed it as “a little bit of bump and grind, and a little bit of Argentine Tango.” The crowd’s boos echoed through the studio, and fans online accused her of playing favorites. “Whatever Shirley’s beef is with Karen Hauer? I wish she’d just pull her to one side in the corridor and get it out of her system because it affects Karen’s celeb partner’s marks,” one X user (formerly Twitter) vented. Another quipped, “Ah, we’ve reached the annual ‘Shirley beefing with Karen’ part of the series,” while a third declared, “Shirl has her favourites EVERY SERIES.” One even joked, “Scrap behind the bins – I know who my money would be on!” And a fed-up fan demanded, “I need Shirley gone at this point. She’s nasty for no reason and ruining every week for me.”
The perceived grudges extended to Halloween Week, where Shirley seemed to zero in on West End sensation and former Love Island star Amber Davies, 29. Paired with pro Nikita Kuzmin, Amber glided through a Viennese Waltz to “I See Red” by Everybody Loves An Outlaw. But Shirley wasn’t impressed, calling it an “American-style Viennese Waltz” that strayed from tradition. “On my book, it says Viennese waltz. And this, for me, was an American-style Viennese waltz… You had about 18 bars, so the real Viennese Waltz didn’t actually come to fruition,” she critiqued.
While Anton, Craig, and Motsi each gave 9s, Shirley’s lone 8 dropped Amber to fifth on the leaderboard instead of third. Fans weren’t buying it. “Shirley is very unprofessional in the way she talks to Amber. Doesn’t even try to hide that she can’t stand her…” one blasted. Another questioned, “Why was Shirley criticising Amber for performing choreography she was given? She danced beautifully, and Shirley’s comments made no sense.” A third stated flatly, “It’s clear Shirley just doesn’t like Amber,” and a fourth added, “Amber is amazing, and Shirley’s comments were completely unnecessary.”
As the Strictly spotlight intensifies, these judge controversies have fans questioning if the critiques are fair play or foul. With social media ablaze, one thing’s clear: the drama off the dance floor is stealing the show.