Strictly judge Anton Du Beke has blasted his fellow judges for scoring 10s, saying: “They give them out willy-nilly.”
Anton, who replaced Bruno Tonioli on this year’s panel, says that when he was a professional dancer, the judges were much harsher.
He said: “The show is in its 18th year and I have been a dancer for 15 years.
“It took me 15 years to get a 10 with Emma Barton. They are giving them [10s] out willy-nilly this year.”
It comes as the show faced “fix” claims and accusations of favouritism by the judges amid allegations that BBC stars were being prioritised to take part.
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But Strictly star Rhys Stephenson hit back, saying: “It’s the viewers who vote.”
He added: “Strictly is on the BBC so it is easy to get talent that is on the BBC. You can speak to them easily. It’s harder to do that with ITV and Channel 4, but in no way does it affect the vote.
“The people who watch aren’t contracted to the BBC – they vote for who they want to win.
“If you look at the winners and there are more from the BBC, it is coincidental. Those people are just very likeable and maybe the BBC are good at hiring those people. Everyone loves a conspiracy and that’s what it is – a conspiracy.”
Anton, who moaned about the lenient judging at the Tring Book Festival while plugging his new romance novel, We’ll Meet Again, was asked if he will ever dance again on Strictly.
“Well, that remains to be seen,” he said. “I don’t know. That is up for them to decide.
“I would like to think I will stay where I am. Ideally, what I would like to do is continue to judge and come out and do the odd number. That would be nice.
“I do miss dancing on the show now a little bit, but I don’t miss getting voted off.”
