STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas has slammed claims of a fix after she was accused of ‘deciding who wins’.
The head judge, 63, hit out after it was suggested she and the rest of the panel had already picked Layton Williams to lift the Glitterball Trophy.
Shirley insisted neither she, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse nor Anton Du Beke have any say in who wins.
The ‘Queen Of Latin’ spoke out after a viewer commented on a picture of her posing in a stunning red frock against a glittery wall.
Shirley had told her followers on X, formerly known as Twitter: “My final show of It Takes Two complete @bbcstrictly now we just wait for the final. Who’s excited? Xxx.”
But one man replied: “Not me as you and your judges have already decided who will win! A professional, dancing with a professional!!”
Feeling aggrieved, Shirley was quick to respond.
“Thank you for your message,” she wrote. “We as judges are only to guide in the final. We have no say on who will win.
“It is completely and utterly down to the public vote. So I say pick up that phone Neil and vote as that is what counts. Enjoy the show and have a beautiful day Xxx.”
Layton, who has made the final with his Strictly pro Nikita Kuzmin, reposted her reply alongside a yellow heart emoji.
“What Shirley said,” the 29-year-old West End star added.
Layton will go up against Coronation Street‘s Ellie Leach and partner Vito Coppola in the final, along with EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier and Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell.
The finalists’ dances have already been revealed and each couple will perform three times before the winner is announced.
Layton’s spot on the show has repeatedly come under fire from critics, given his extensive experience performing in West End shows.
Even former Strictly pro James Jordan had something to say about it.
He told HELLO! magazine this week: “Is that what Strictly is supposed to be. Is that what Strictly has come to that we have fully-trained dancers on the show? For me, it’s not what Strictly is supposed to be.”
But also this week, Layton’s fans came out in force and defended the star ahead of tomorrow night’s final.
