Strictly 2022 fans reckon there may be “beef” between head judge Shirley Ballas and contestant Matt Goss.
The former Bros star is partnered with Nadiya Bychkova for the BBC One dance series.
However, they found themselves right towards the bottom of the scoreboard after their first dance.
And Shirley’s comments to the pair have been interpreted by some as being more critical than those given to others during the first live show.
Strictly 2022: Matt Goss and Nadiya Bychkova fall flat
Matt and Nadiya’s quickstep saw them awarded 20 points by the judges, leaving them in 14th place.
Shirley and her fellow judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke each scored the dance couple five points.
But some social media users claimed they could detect tension between Shirley and Matt.
And it was also speculated any strain might pre-date Matt’s time as a contestant.
Shirley Ballas feedback to Matt Goss
Shirley indicated to 1980s pop star Matt, 53, following his performance that his posture needed attention.
She said: “You’re beautifully groomed, you’ve got a lot of swag and you definitely have a lot of potential.
“But for me, it fell a little bit apart. Is it the feet? Maybe it’s the knees? Maybe it’s the body position? The frame got lost. You were rattling a little bit between the two of you.”
Shirley added: “You will get away with a foot error. You won’t get away with a bad frame.”
Strictly 2022 viewers spot ‘tension’
Some viewers expressed on Twitter that they felt Shirley “doesn’t like” Matt.
“So this year’s celebrity on #StrictlyComeDancing that Shirley doesn’t like is seemingly Matt Goss,” one person alleged.
“I thought he danced really well – better than some of the others she has heaped praise on.”
Another echoed that claim: “Shirley doesn’t like Matt. First time she’s not stood up. With his experience in Vegas he should be a shoo-in.”
And a third person went as far to speculate: “Anyone else feel like Shirley and Matt Goss had some kind of beef before the show started?”
A representative for Strictly Come Dancing declined to comment on the speculation.
Matt responds on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two
During an appearance on Monday (September 26) evening’s It Takes Two, Matt hinted at frustration with Shirley’s appraisal.
He said: “Everyone seemed to get constructive criticism and then to say: ‘Well, I don’t quite know what it was but…’ Well, I want to know what it was.”
And Nadiya also said she found the judges’ feedback rather severe.
Nadiya, 33, reflected: “I’m not a judge, I am a professional dancer, and I think they were a bit harsh to be honest.
“It was Week One. Matt did all the steps right, the routine was quite full on. There was a lot of content, the quickstep is a very difficult dance and his musicality was just on point.”
Read more: Strictly viewers divided over Shirley Ballas’ behaviour during first live show
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