Strictly Come Dancing Judge Shirley Ballas Received Death Threats Over Dev Griffin And Dianne Buswell's Elimination

25 October 2019, 11:39

Strictly Come Dancing fans were outraged when Dianne Buswell and celebrity partner Dev Griffin were knocked out of the competition.

Head judge of the Strictly Come Dancing panel, Shirley Ballas, has revealed she received death threats on social media after she and her fellow judges voted to eliminate Dev Griffin and Dianne Busswell from the BBC One show.

Shirley, who recently began a new relationship with boyfriend Danny Taylor, made the shocking admission on the Jonathan Ross Show with co-judges Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood, saying she received some shocking messages.

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She said of one of the abuse: “Somebody put a picture with my face on it digging my own grave [with] ‘Die B***h’ and put me on a chicken spit.”

Craig later defended their decision to vote off Dev and Dianne, after they left the show when Viscountess Emma Weymouth and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec were saved.

Shirley Ballas said she received death threats over sending Dev Griffin home. Picture: BBC / ITV

He said their decisions are based on the performances that evening, not on how the contestants have been performing throughout the competition.

“This is [the abuse] to do with Dev I would imagine. Everyone in the group, especially us as judges, all said professionally that he was the one that should leave and I defend that, of course I'm going to defend that because that was the decision on the night.

“I’d love to be able to do a big sum up and then put someone through but it's not about that.

“The dance off is literally about who was good on that night and who did the best on the night.”

Meanwhile, new judge Motsi said the comments leave her raging.

Dev Griffin and Dianne Buswell's exit shocked Strictly Come Dancing fans. Picture: BBC

She explained: “I get so upset – well angry – then I write everything down, I answer them then I go to my husband and I put on my angry voice and [and read my response].

“Then he's like ‘Okay darling, do you feel better?’ and I'm like, ‘Yes’.”

Motsi also has to warn her mum not to comment back to people leaving hurtful remarks online.

The judges agreed this year’s series is the most unpredictable, as there are some strong contenders in the running.

Strictly continues Saturdays at 6.40pm and Sundays at 7.15pm.

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