Oti Mabuse criticises Strictly judges after November 7 show

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse criticised the show’s judges after its November 7 episode, saying contestants had been underscored and urging the panel to give clearer guidance. Her assessment was a personal view; the reports do not independently establish that the scores were unfair.

Mabuse, who won the competition twice, spoke about the episode in a TikTok video. She said she questioned why some couples received particular scores and asked judges to explain how contestants could improve. The panel includes her sister, Motsi Mabuse, as well as Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Dani Dyer and professional partner Nikita Kuzmin led the leaderboard with 36 points. John Nellis and Cach Mercer tied at the bottom with 26 points each. In Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby’s performance, Revel Horwood awarded four points, Motsi Mabuse and Du Beke gave eight each, and Ballas awarded six.

The episode’s scores drew criticism from viewers, with some questioning the differences between the judges’ marks. That reaction accompanied Mabuse’s comments, but does not by itself establish that the judging was inconsistent or that any contestant was objectively...