BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans warn complaints will be 'off charts' after 'gross' comment from Shirley Ballas

Shirley Ballas has sparked a fresh sexism storm with a comment to Pete Wicks on Saturday night's Blackpool special. Head judge Shirley drew the ire of BBC viewers on Strictly Come Dancing last night, after a comment to The Only Way Is Essex star Pete.

"Pete, Pete, Pete. You've changed," Tess Daly joked as she made light of Wicks' pink trousers, shirt, and fluffy jacket combination. "Shirley I think was just loving every moment," Tess - who was hosting with Claudia Winkleman - added.

Wicks asked: "Shirley, how do you feel, darling? I feel great!" Shirley replied: "Oh well, you know...Erm, let me think!" She continued: "There was definite - do you know what? I'll have to calm myself down. You had some very good isolation and a very clean neckline."

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She said: "You did a Cuban Break there, the crossover with your feet. Your hips swinging left and right..." Shirley added, saying: "I mean, it was very entertaining. I don't think I'm going to forget this evening for as long as I live darling."

"All we could see was left cheek, right cheek, left cheek, right cheek," Anton laughed. The judge, who was sat beside Shirley to her left hand side, added: "She hasn't been the same since... The Cha Cha was lacking but the dance was amazing."

But on Twitter/X, a fan said: "Haven’t watched #Strictly for a long time, but I switched on just now and was really uncomfortable with the judges’ comments about Pete & Jowita. So much focus on his tight trousers instead of actually judging the dancing.

"Wouldn’t fly for a female contestant! Gross." A second typed: "Didn't enjoy Pete tonight He looked uncomfortable And Shirley gushing over him… embarrassing #Strictly." A third wrote: "#Strictly if a man had said about a woman contestant what Shirley said about Pete he’d have been in a lot of trouble. #DoubleStandards."

"I'm sorry I'm gonna be that person, if say Anton reacted to a female contestant the way Shirley reacts to Pete, the complaints would be off the chart and the mans career would be over," a fourth said. "It’s appalling," a fifth replied, adding: "You couldn’t objectify a female contestant and refer to her physical attributes in that way. I really don’t like it!"