BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas slams 'childish' response to latest show exit 

Shirley Ballas has slammed the 'childish' response to the latest Strictly Come Dancing exit as she told fans to 'vote' for their favourites. The head judge was left agreeing with her fellow judges as they sent Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin home.

The Olympic hockey star and her professional dance partner became the sixth couple to leave the BBC One dance contest after they landed in the dreaded dance-off during Sunday night's (November 3) results show.

Following the public vote, Sam and Nikita ended up in the bottom two, opposite Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas and her professional dance partner Johannes Radebe, after they both competed in the show's first-ever 'Icons Week' on Saturday night (November 2).

READ MORE: BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Sam Quek shares 'sobering reminder' as she breaks silence on exit

Both couples had to reprise their icon-themed routines again, with Sam and Nikita dancing an American smooth to Taylor Swift’s Love Story while Montell and Johannes re-performed their waltz to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.

After reperforming their routines, all four judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke - all agreed unanimously to save Montell and Johannes, therefore making Sam and Nikita the latest couple to exit the competition.

Speaking about her time on the show, Sam told co-host Tess Daly: "I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back.

"It’s just been an absolute joy. Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give."

But Strictly fans were outraged by the results and flocked to social media to comment. One viewer said: "So frustrating when the judges can’t mark properly as we then have the wrong people in the dance off & the wrong couple going home. Watching the smile fade off Sam’s face after she did well each week was infuriating when her male counterparts had mistakes ignored #strictly."

Shirley, however, didn't seem to agree and reshared the post on X, formerly Twitter, the 'Queen of Latin' hit back: "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..."

In response, another viewer commented: "How do we vote to eliminate Shirley next week." But taking the comment in her stride, Shirley clapped back: "Thank you James. Vote vote vote lol."