Strictly's Kaye Adams responds to Shirley Ballas criticism

The head judge has been accused of favouritism.

By George Lewis

16 Oct 2022

Strictly Come Dancing star Kaye Adams has responded to the criticism facing head judge Shirley Ballas.

The Loose Women panellist was the first contestant to be eliminated from this year’s show but has defended Shirley after she was accused of favouring the younger male celebrities.

Kaye, who was partnered with Kai Widdrington for the dance competition, said the accusations were rooted in ageism and sexism when speaking to The Sun.

BBC

“I'm desperately sorry Shirley has been subjected to some of the comments she has this week,” said Kaye. “It's despicable and unwarranted. She's hugely talented and highly qualified for that job.

“Why are we making age a factor here? There are lots of reasons why you might like or not like an individual and that's perfectly valid. The fact they've lived to that point in their life – why are we using that against people?

“Even the word 'flirty'. Are we trying to suggest she's coming onto them? That's clearly ridiculous.”

kaye adams kai widdrington strictly come dancing 2022, week 2

BBC

Kaye, who described Shirley as a “vibrant and outgoing woman”, said she experienced ageism during her time on the show, which ended after two weeks.

"I've never ever thought of myself as being on the wrong side of ageism or sexism – I've never approached life that way,” she said, “But I am becoming more aware of a negative attitude towards older women. I'd never felt affected by it before."

“I read a comment from someone saying old-aged women can't move, they're so unfit, they're slow. I thought 'Jesus Christ what more do you want?’”

Kaye, who scored 43 across her two dances, was followed off the show by Richie Anderson, who lost a hotly contested dance-off to Fleur East.

This week saw high scores galore, with Hamza Yassin topping the leaderboard with 39 for his Salsa.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One, while spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows also stream on BBC iPlayer.

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