Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita score 25 on Strictly

Tabby Stoecker and professional partner Mark Karmalita scored 25 out of 40 in Strictly Come Dancing’s Halloween special, prompting some viewers to question the judges’ marks. Shirley Ballas gave the pair five points, while Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke each awarded seven. The total matched the score given to Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley for their Samba. Some viewers posting on X criticized the comparison and said Stoecker and Karmalita had been marked too harshly. Those posts reflect the views of individual commenters and do not establish how broadly the reaction was shared. The judges pointed to mistakes and aspects of the performance that needed work. Their comments included concerns about confidence, posture and the pair’s spacing. The reports differ on whether Stoecker and Karmalita performed a Charleston or a Quickstep, so the dance style cannot be established from the accounts available. The Halloween episode aired on October 31. Stoecker, an Olympic champion, is paired with Canadian professional dancer Karmalita. One report said the pair had topped the leaderboard the previous week, making their score a drop from that position. Hall and Oakley...