Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas defends Adam Peaty after ‘almost kiss’ criticism: ‘He was spot on’

‘Taking the woman passionately in your arms, manoeuvring face to face, wrapping that leg around, cuddling and moving – that’s what the dance is about,’ said Ballas

Shirley Ballas has praised Adam Peaty for his Strictly Come Dancing performance that led to some viewers accusing him and his dance partner Katya Jones of sharing an “almost kiss”.

Peaty spoke out over the speculation at the time, reminding people of the “real life consequences” that can follow such remarks, while his girlfriend Eiri Munro shared a video of herself pretending to cry, captioned: “Watching your boyfriend almost kiss another woman on live TV.”

Commenting on the story, head judge Ballas told The Times: “I don’t listen to gossip, I’m there to judge. But when Adam did his Argentine Tango, it was on fire.”

She added: “Taking the woman passionately in your arms, manoeuvring face to face, wrapping that leg around, cuddling and moving – that’s what the dance is about and he was spot on. What the public or anybody else want to make of it is their issue.”

Olympic swimmer Peaty became the sixth celebrity to leave the show after a surprise dance-off against social media star Tilly Ramsay.

Following his elimination from the show, Peaty told his critics: “For the people who tried to bring us down throughout the show, please challenge yourself to be better. The world needs much more positivity and truth.”

Find the 10 biggest talking points from Saturday night’s episode (6 November) here.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 13 November at 6.40pm on BBC One.