Strictly's Shirley Ballas hit with furious backlash as she's accused of 'objectifying' Pete Wicks

The Strictly Come Dancing caput justice has ruffled feathers amongst viewers with her marking connected this year's series, but her absorption to Pete Wicks' creation connected Saturday has tipped them implicit the edge

Strictly Come Dancing caput justice Shirley Ballas has sparked outrage with viewers arsenic she is accused of 'objectifying' Pete Wicks, with critics brutally branding her "pathetic".

The contention comes aft Saturday night's occurrence of the BBC contention saw TOWIE's Pete and his nonrecreational spouse Jowita Przystał execute a raunchy Cha Cha. Pete wore a brace of skin-tight pinkish trousers with his garment unbuttoned, portion the 36-year-old performed a regular to I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred.

Along with Jowita and a squad of backing dancers, the creation received rapturous applause from the Blackpool audience, pursuing their crowd-pleasing performance. But it wasn't conscionable the assemblage who lapped it up, with Tess Daly mentioning the caput judge's reaction, joking: "Shirley I deliberation was conscionable loving each moment."

Ballas could beryllium seen giggling down the judging panel, portion Pete asked her: "Shirley, however bash you feel, darling? I consciousness great!" Not denying she was somewhat flustered aft watching his dance, she replied: "Oh well, you know...Erm, fto maine think," adding: "There was definite - bash you cognize what? I'll person to calm myself down. You had immoderate precise bully isolation and a precise cleanable neckline."

Anton Du Beke went connected to dramatically instrumentality Ballas down portion she composed herself, earlier she attempted a constructive answer: "You did a Cuban Break there, the crossover with your feet. Your hips swinging near and right..." The assemblage erupted into laughter, earlier Shirley ended: "I mean, it was precise entertaining. I don't deliberation I'm going to hide this evening for arsenic agelong arsenic I unrecorded darling."

Anton added: "All we could spot was near cheek, close cheek, near cheek, close cheek," helium said portion helium gestured towards Ballas: "She hasn't been the aforesaid since... The Cha Cha was lacking but the creation was amazing."

X users weren't impressed by Shirley's behaviour, taking to the societal media level to fume astir the "gross" comments and "double standards" she'd shown. One ranted: "Didn't bask Pete contiguous He looked uncomfortable And Shirley gushing implicit him… embarrassing #Strictly." Another slammed her comments: "I'm atrocious I'm gonna beryllium that person, if accidental Anton reacted to a pistillate contestant the mode Shirley reacts to Pete, the complaints would beryllium disconnected the illustration and the mans vocation would beryllium over,"

Someone other wrote:"#Strictly if a antheral had said astir a pistillate contestant what Shirley said astir Pete he’d person been successful a batch of trouble. #DoubleStandards," with a 4th asking: "Why bash we judge Shirley acting similar a screeching teenager? #Strictly."

Another fumed: "Haven’t watched #Strictly for a agelong time, but I switched connected conscionable present and was truly uncomfortable with the judges’ comments astir Pete & Jowita. So overmuch absorption connected his choky trousers alternatively of really judging the dancing. Wouldn’t alert for a pistillate contestant! Gross."

One instrumentality went further, adding: "You couldn’t objectify a pistillate contestant and notation to her carnal attributes successful that way. I truly don’t similar it!"

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