Strictly Come Dancing producers have been forced to deny that the show is fixed.
Following last night’s shock elimination which saw DJ Vick Hope and her partner Graziano Di Prima leave the competition over Seann Walsh and Katya Jones, rumours began circulating as to how the judges came to their decision.
Speaking on Capital FM today, Vick said that the audience didn’t see the role producers had in the judge’s choice.
She said:
“There was a conflab with the producers and then they gave their decision.
“There was this stunned silence, it was a really weird atmosphere.”
Grim.
🚨 Red light alert 🚨 Seann and Katya will face the #Strictly Dance-Off tonight pic.twitter.com/hqLnqgHroP
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) October 21, 2018
Strictly producers have, however, vehemently denied this claim stated that it is “categorically untrue” that the judge are told how to vote.
A spokesperson for the BBC told The Sun:
“It is categorically untrue to imply that producers tell the Judges how to score or who to save. Each judge votes on each dance independently, based on its merits and in their expert opinion alone.”
“The judges use an electronic voting pad to transmit their score or choice of who to save to the production gallery which is then locked in and cannot be changed.”
The spokesperson went on to say that the producers do have a role in the voting process – but that they are only brought in after the judges have decided who they want to send home.
It's time to say goodbye to this brilliant pair with the best hair, @VickNHope and @GrazianoDiPrima 💖 #Strictly pic.twitter.com/3ziywzz5qW
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) October 21, 2018
They continued:
“Only after (the judges vote) does a Producer speak to the judges, advising them on how long they have to speak and reminding them to give a reason for their decisions.
“The process was exactly the same this weekend.”
Seann and Katya were saved by the judges yesterday following their low scoring performance on the Strictly dancefloor.
They have been repeatedly criticised online since they were caught cheating on their respective partners on a night out in London.
