STRICTLY’s Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke have both come under fire for overmarking Pete Wicks again.
In a return to the main studio after the Blackpool Special last week, Pete and pro dancer Jowita Przystał opened week 10 with a Tango to Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Earth Wind and Fire’s Philip Bailey.
Donning a dapper black suit, the pair were praised for Pete’s top line, but were criticised for his seeming hesitation during some of the moves.
They earned a score of 29, with Craig Revel-Horwood awarding six, Motsi Mabuse giving a seven, while Shirley and Anton both gave him an eight.
The differing scores fuelled fan’s feelings that Shirley has been playing favourites with Pete throughout the series.
Venting their frustration on X (formerly Twitter), one wrote: “Shirley agreed with Motsi’s critique yet still awarded Pete one mark higher than her.”
“Shirley and Anton overmarking , surprise..not,” said another, as a third wrote. “Knew Shirley would overmark Pete”
“Shirley loves visual improvement. Anton thinks Pete has improved immensely. Give 8s. Madness,” said a third.
While a fourth wrote. “Pete’s Tango was what you’d expect in week 3 not week 10. WTF were those 8 paddles!?”
Shirley has previously hit back at the criticism, saying she “isn’t going anywhere” despite a petition for her to be sacked picked up steam.
“Strictly is the light of my life and my friends’ lives,” she said.
“My mother in particular, she is that armchair watcher who sits there in that little pink dressing gown she’s had for a thousand years, either with her arms folded because she didn’t agree with what I said or very inviting and wanting to make me a cup of tea.”
“I’ve got a lot of friends who are like, ‘Oh you shouldn’t have sent this one home, you shouldn’t have sent that one’,” she added.
“And then I’ll say, ‘Did you vote?’ And they didn’t vote, so therefore you’re not entitled to complain if you don’t vote.”
The scores come after Pete became the bookies favourite to leave this week as he falls behind on his fellow competitors.
Fans were shocked that he survived last week’s dance-off after a disastrous pink neon cha cha to Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy.
Wynne Evans was instead given his marching orders after falling into the dance-off against Montell Douglas.
