Strictly Come Dancing: Shirley Ballas says she was ‘mortified’ Kaye Adams was eliminated first

Virgin Radio

6 Oct 2022, 07:20

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has revealed how she really felt sending home Kaye Adams in the first round of eliminations last weekend.

The Loose Women star was the first to get the boot from the ballroom on Sunday (2nd October) when she and pro partner Kai Widdrington failed to impress the judging panel or the public with their Tango and Charleston. 

Kaye and Kai were in the bottom two alongside Bros legend Matt Goss and partner Nadiya Bychkova, but the singer was saved by judges Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood. 

It turns out Shirley would’ve voted differently if she had the final word, and said on the night that Kaye and Kai had “a better quality” of performance.

While on The One Show on Wednesday (5th October), Shirley confessed her disappointment about Kaye being voted off first, calling the dancing couple “far superior'' on that evening.

She explained: “I was absolutely mortified that she left to be quite honest. I love my fellow judges, and we’re all there to do a job, but that was one they didn’t quite get right.”

While the judges have never come to blows over who should be sent home, Shirley did say she is often relieved she’s not left with the final decision. 

She continued: “You know sometimes I’m just delighted when they can agree and it’s not my job to send somebody home.

“But [Kaye] was, and had, the most beautiful movement. She was fluid and I like fluidity. So there you go.”

After being the first star to be sent home from the dancing competition, Kaye shared a rather awkward encounter she had at her hotel just hours after being in the dance-off. 

Posting on Twitter, Kaye wrote: "Just ordered room service in my hotel. The nice lady who brought it asked me ‘any idea who went out of @bbcstrictly tonight?’

"I said ‘me’. Awkward silence."

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One.