Vick Hope reveals Strictly Come Dancing's producers were called in before judges eliminated her over Seann Walsh
'There was this stunned silence, it was a really weird atmosphere'
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Strictly Come Dancing‘s Vick Hope has said that producers were called in before the judges’s final decision to eliminate her over Seann Walsh on Sunday night’s results show (21 October).
Walsh – who has been at the centre of a media storm ever since being pictured kissing his professional partner Katya Jones – faced the Capital FM DJ in the dance-off, managing to win by three votes to one from the judges, making Hope the fourth star to depart the series.
Speaking on the Capital Breakfast Show, Hope said that before head judge Shirley Ballas announced the judges’s decision, producers were called in for a discussion. 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.”
During the dance-off, Walsh and Jones once again attempted their quickstep to “Lightning Bolt” by Jake Bugg, a dance which initially scored them 24 points with the judges. Hope and dance partner Graziano Di Prima performed their cha cha cha to “More Than Friends” by James Hype (featuring Kelli-Leigh), a dance which was awarded just 20 points on Saturday night.
Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Hope and Di Prima, while Darcey Bussell, Ballas, and guest judge Alfonso Riberio chose to save Walsh and Jones. Some viewers were left shocked as, in the previous week, Hope had been one of the top-scoring dancers with 29 points and was among the favourites to win the series.
Revel Horwood told BBC Breakfast: ”(Hope) was fantastic, I voted for her to stay in, obviously, but the other judges made the decision and Shirley had to make the ultimate decision in the end, and she chose Seann, which is absolutely fine. I think equally they both improved in the dance-off, which was great, but it’s down to personal taste, and I just preferred that one dance.”
“I think technically they were both pretty abysmal, to be honest, it is true. I just went for the one that I liked the best on the night.”
A spokesperson for the BBC has said: “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.”
“Only after this 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.”
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