Strictly Come Dancing’s judge, Shirley Ballas, has asserted that “nobody is bigger” than the show, expressing her belief that it will continue for many years to come despite recent controversies.
The 65-year-old dancer and television personality, who has been a part of the show since 2017 as head judge, recently saw changes in the judging system of Strictly. Now, the deciding vote in the dance-off rotates among the judges each week, meaning the final decision doesn’t always rest with Shirley.
The show has faced several scandals in recent months, including the news earlier this week that a former star of the show has been arrested. This follows an arrest two months prior involving another Strictly star.
Questions about the future of the show have been raised following the announcement by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman that this season will be their last presenting together. However, according to The Mirror, the show, currently in its 23rd series, is still commissioned for 2026 and there are no plans to remove it from the BBC’s schedule.
Shirley remains optimistic about the future of Strictly, stating her belief that it will endure long after she has left, reports the Mirror.
“Nobody is bigger than Strictly Come Dancing,” she told the press, “Not me, not any presenters, not any dancers – that show belongs to the people.”
After joining the show in 2017, the future of the show remained uncertain, but it continued to grow in popularity as Shirley said it will “keep going.”
Shirley added that Strictly is “a wonderful show” and stated the BBC deserves recognition for doing “everything in their power to help the country enjoy the show on a Saturday evening.”
The judge also praised “the people behind the scenes,” whom she described as the ones who “make the show” each week.
During Saturday’s programme, Tess and Claudia revealed to audiences that La Voix has been compelled to pull out of the competition due to an injury. This means no participant departed the show this week, and there wasn’t a dance-off.
The 45-year-old RuPaul’s Drag Race UK celebrity, whose actual name is Christopher Dennis, was originally given a pass to the following round of the competition after the injury was declared last week, but will now progress no further on the BBC dancing show.
Speaking at the beginning of Saturday’s programme, presenter Tess said: “Now, as you may have heard, Le Voix sustained an injury, meaning that she can’t dance in Blackpool tonight, and following further advice from our medical team, we can now confirm she has, very sadly, had to withdraw from the competition.”
Claudia expressed: “We will be speaking to Le Voix on tomorrow night’s show, we love you so, so much.”
In an Instagram post, La Voix shared: “I’m absolutely devastated to be withdrawing from Strictly Come Dancing. This isn’t the glittering exit I ever imagined, and it breaks my heart to feel like I’m letting people down.
“My spirit wanted to keep dancing, but my foot has other ideas. Thank you for every cheer, every vote, and every sparkle of support – it’s meant the world to me. This isn’t the ending I imagined, but I’ll cherish this forever.”
La Voix, who was partnered with professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec, was spotted in the audience at Blackpool on Saturday, where the remaining six pairs are set to perform.