By Basant El-Faramawy
Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has dismissed speculation that her guest appearance on the US series Dancing with the Stars signals an exit from the BBC show. Ballas, who has been a judge on Strictly since 2017, appeared on the American counterpart on Tuesday and returned to the UK for the Halloween weekend special on Saturday.
Ballas confirms commitment to Strictly
Speaking to Prima magazine, Ballas described the Dancing with the Stars role as "a job I always wanted" but stated unequivocally: "It's double duty this year... I'm 100 per cent not leaving Strictly." She added that she expects to be stricter with contestants on the US show.
Harsher scoring on US debut
During her appearance, Ballas gave actors Julia Stiles and Tatyana Ali scores of four. She also scored her son, professional dancer Mark Ballas, and his partner Maura Higgins a seven for their contemporary routine, while fellow judges — including former Strictly colleague Bruno Tonioli — awarded eights and nines. Ballas awarded the first perfect 10 of the series to actor Harry Shum Jr and partner Jenna Johnson, who earned a total of 40 for a horror-themed contemporary dance to a remix of Britney Spears' "Toxic".
Precedent for transatlantic judging
Ballas follows a tradition of judges working on both sides of the Atlantic. Bruno Tonioli and the late Len Goodman served on both panels for more than a decade. Tonioli left Strictly in 2022 due to the demanding travel schedule, and Goodman, who died in April 2023, departed the UK show in 2016 and the US version seven years later.
