Strictly Come Dancing has been plunged into a new “fix” row after Stacey Dooley was marked far higher than Kate Silverton despite both having a rib injury.
Viewers accused the show of favouring documentary presenter Stacey by focusing on her training accident and trip to hospital.
But no mention was made of Kate’s injury in her VT, despite it being almost identical.
Read more: Stacey Dooley returns to Strictly Come Dancing training after injury
The newsreader, 48, needed gas-and-air pain relief and was treated by a medic on Friday, after she “stripped” her muscle from the bone.
The panel gave Kate just 23 points, with head judge Shirley Ballas criticising her Agentine Tango as “laboured” and Craig Revel Horwood blasting the performance, with professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec, as “stuck in the mud”.
Read more: Strictly’s Kate Silverton films herself on laughing gas after suffering rib injury
By contrast, they lavished praise on 31-year-old Stacey, who performed a street/commercial dance to Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind as their Couple’s Choice.
She received nines across the board for a total of 36, placing her third on the leaderboard, while Kate ended up second from bottom.
Viewers took to social media to cry foul.
One tweeted: “Not a mention of Kate’s injury until after the dance!! Full VT of Stacey’s! Wonder who the favourite is.”
Another wrote: “Shockingly biased towards Stacy. Not a mention of Kate’s injury til after she’d danced.”
A third added: “Not sure about this..Kate has had to have injections because of a detached muscle from her ribs, is in constant pain and it’s only mentioned briefly in passing, yet Stacey’s injury is heavily featured in her VT? Hoping that Audience manipulation isn’t at play here?”
#Strictly Not sure about this..Kate has had to have injections because of a detached muscle from her ribs, is in constant pain and it’s only mentioned briefly in passing, yet Stacey’s injury is heavily featured in her VT? Hoping that Audience manipulation isn’t at play here?
— Rapscallion0421 (@rapscallion0421) November 3, 2018
I’m not trying to say they are trying to influence the scores/voting but … so nice of #Strictly to hammer home about Stacey’s injuries but hardly mention Kate’s.
— Felix (@foxcubofwm) November 3, 2018
Hang on – why is Stacey’s injury talked about in the VT but nothing is made of Kate’s actual injury in hers? #Strictly
— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) November 3, 2018
Here’s Kate Silverton receiving medical treatment for her injury – not much made of that in her VT, unlike in Stacey’s: https://t.co/ng1Akw1ihN #Strictly
— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) November 3, 2018
@bbcstrictly Not a mention of Kate’s injury until after the dance!! Full VT of Stacey’s! Wonder who the favourite is 🤔🤔
— Victoria Plum (@Vicyah) November 3, 2018
I’ve never noticed how biased the vts can be. Shockingly biased towards Stacy. Not a mention of Kate’s injury til after she’d danced.
— Miss.N.R (@njr381) November 3, 2018
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* Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 7.50pm on BBC1.
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