Shirley Ballas forced into last-minute wardrobe change as animal rights activists rage at BBC Strictly judge
Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas was “shocked” after demands from animal rights activists forced her into a sudden outfit change during this weekend’s shows.
The 64-year-old’s dress, adorned with ostrich feathers, had to be hastily plucked of its plumage before she could appear on Sunday’s results show.
Last week, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had called on Strictly producers to stop the use of real bird feathers in costumes.
In a letter, Peta described birds being “shocked, slaughtered, and violently plucked” to harvest their feathers.
It concluded: “PETA urges Strictly Come Dancing to stick to fabulous feather-free fashions that no one had to die for.”
While the BBC has made no official statement on PETA’s request, producers were quick to act on Ballas’s outfit.
The head judge was reportedly seized upon by wardrobe assistants to remove the decorative plumage from her red gown.
An inside source claimed: “Shirley was shocked by the suddenness of it all and because the outfit pulled to bits was quite glamorous and expensive.”
Ballas had dressed as Cher for Strictly’s Icons Week and had just changed into the feathered gown to record the results when she was informed it had to be altered.
“There wasn’t time to change into another outfit and the whole show is run to a tight schedule,” the source told The Sun.
Such was the rush, fellow judge Motsbi Mabuse was reportedly drafted in to help remove the plumage in time for filming.
Strictly costumes are no strangers to feathers, with this series seeing Miranda star Sarah Hadland, EastEnders regular Jamie Borthwick and Gladiators’ Montell Douglas sporting them during dance numbers.
On this week’s Strictly, former hockey player Sam Quek and dance partner Nikita Kuzmin were eliminated from the competition following a dance-off with Douglas and partner Johannes Radebe.
Fans were quick to accuse judges of poor marking that saw both Quek and Douglas in the dance-off, with some suggesting that the “wrong person definitely went home tonight“.
Ballas was quick to challenge these claims on social media, responding to one viewer’s post on X, formally Twitter.
The former ballroom star argued: “The show has been on over twenty years the public vote makes a difference. You the public can vote to save your favourites. It gets childish to always blame the judges.”
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The show has been on over twenty years the public vote makes a difference. You the public can vote to save your favorites. It gets childish to always blame the judges Lucy https://t.co/zzxVPuKwS5
— Shirley Ballas (@ShirleyBallas) November 3, 2024
Ballas’ emphatic defence of Strictly follows a recent interview where she redoubled her commitment to the show.
She told the Daily Star Sunday: “I’ve been on the show for eight years and I’ll stay on it until I pop my clogs.“
“The only other reason I’d go is if they don’t want me anymore.”
Ballas championed Strictly as a “family show that everybody in the country really enjoys” which brings a vital positive message.
