The 'Strictly Come Dancing' judges hate having to send contestants home.

Strictly Come Dancing judges hate sending contestants home

Strictly Come Dancing judges hate sending contestants home

The BBC's Latin and ballroom competition is back on Saturday (23.09.23) for the first live show of the series, and the panel - Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood - have all admitted the dreaded dance off is the worst part of the show.

Anton said: "The biggest challenge is eliminating somebody and sometimes it’s tighter than you'd want it to be, but that's the job and that's what I’m there for, so that is the most challenging part.

"Trying to be encouraging, trying to help people - that's the fun part."

His fellow judge Shirley agreed, confessing that she finds it "so heartbreaking" having the "final say".

She added: "The biggest challenge is when I hear Anton vote differently to Craig and Motsi in the dance off and then the final say is down to me.

"It’s so heartbreaking having to send anyone home."

For Motsi, the dance off is "always" tough because of the relationships that are built as the competition goes on.

She explained: "I bond with all the contestants and sending somebody home is never easy."

Even Craig - who is known for being brutally honest with the contestants - finds it incredibly difficult to "make the right decisions" when it's time to eliminate an act.

He admitted: "I think that's the hardest thing for me in the job."

However, there are benefits too, and the silvertongued judge loves getting to soak up the action from the best seat in the house.

He said: "The biggest joy I take from my job is getting front row seats to the best dance show in the world."

For the panel, simply being part of the spectacle is a huge part of the appeal.

Anton added: "It's a real surprise and a fortune that I've been a part of the show since the beginning, and there’s only Craig, Tess and I left from the very first series and to have been part of a show that is part of the fabric of British consciousness – and the world’s, it’s such a global show - is sort of overwhelming, if I think about it too deeply it blows my mind.

"To be a part of that since the beginning, I feel massive pride. I love it now as much as I did then and I'm delighted about that as well."

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