Shirley Ballas admits Strictly ‘gave her hope’ after being ‘bullied for many years'

STRICTLY Come Dancing couple Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington have revealed what the atmosphere backstage is really like. The pair have shut down rumours of a feud between professional dancers behind the scenes as fans speculated about the rift. Strictly professional dancers Kai, 27, and Nadiya, 33, hit back that the team of celebrities and pros remain incredibly close backstage.

Strictly Come Dancing's fourth week kicked off on Saturday (October 15) and the remaining celebrities took to the dancefloor with their routines.Kiss FM DJ Tyler West was the final celeb to perform for judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabusi, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke, thoroughly impressing them with his Couple's Choice routine alongside partner Dianne Buswell.The duo, who earned the first 10 of the series last weekend during Movie Week, danced to a UK garage megamix and garnered plenty of praise from head judge Shirley who exclaimed that Tyler's "movements were fantastic."READ MORE: Strictly studio in chaos after Motsi Mabuse breaks chair as she 'loses control'Craig, 57, gave is general critique before adding that he "absolutely loved," the performance.When it came to Motsi's turn, she gushed over the night in general before telling the 26-year-old that his routine topped it off for her."You guys were like the cherry on top of the icing. I loved watching you dance," Motsi chimed before turning her head to Shirley.Looking to her side, the South African dancer giggled and asked: "Miss Shirley.

Strictly Come Dancing professionals Kai Widdrington and Nadiya Bychkova have shut down rumours of a backstage feud. The pair met on the show, both joining the process as professional dancers, before falling in love with one another. After a shock dance-off last week, which saw Richie Anderson exit the competition after facing Fleur East, Nadiya and Kai have opened up about how tough it is to lose someone on the show - as everyone is so close backstage.

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left feeling emotional after Gorka Márquez sweetly reassured his celebrity partner Helen Skelton on tonight's show. Gorka, 32, and Helen, 39, performed an incredible Paso Doble which saw them win huge praise from judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood. After receiving their scores, host Claudia Winkleman began chatting to the pair and Gorka soon asked if she could quickly say something to his partner.

Strictly Come Dancing's Fleur East has made an incredible comeback after she and professional partner Vito Coppola landed in the bottom two last week. The 34 year old singer, who recently confessed her husband watches her "hot and steamy" routines, appeared on stage wearing a figure-hugging black and red dress with a thigh-high slit. Vito, 30, matched her outfit as he donned a red shirt underneath a black waistcoat.

Comedian Jayde Adams broke down in tears after Strictly Come Dancing enabled her to fulfil her promise to her older sister. An emotional Jaye performed the tear-jerking ballad Wind Beneath My Wings from the classic film Beaches with her pro dance partner Karen Hauer.

AJ Pritchard has called Shirley Ballas "the most qualified" judge on Strictly Come Dancing after fans demanded she be sacked from the role over concerns she was favouring male celebrities on the show. Shirley, 62, was accused of being "sexist" after explaining she would have saved Richie Anderson, 34, and his pro partner Giovanni Pernice, 32, on Sunday 9 October night following their dance off with Fleur East, 34, and Vito Coppola, 30.

Strictly Come Dancing star Fleur East has had a tough week after facing the dance-off in last weekends show.

Strictly Come Dancing judge is known for his acid-tongued critiques of celebrity couples' performances on the iconic ballroom dance floor.From his cutting comments to his disappointed eye-rolls, Craig Revel-Horwood is undoubtedly the judge every dancer is terrified to be critiqued by.But it’s not just the contestants who are heartbroken by his cruel comments, as many professional dance partners recall also feeling disheartened by his pearls of wisdom on the show.READ MORE:Strictly's Shirley Ballas holds back tears as she breaks silence on 'sexism' claimsDespite his sometimes harsh comments, the long-serving judge, 57, holds a wealth of knowledge in the ballroom arena after first starting off his dancing career back in 1982.The Australian-British judge had a turbulent upbringing during his childhood as the son of an alcoholic naval officer and a housewife, but soon found an escape through his passion for dance.He first began dancing in Ballarat, Australia where he went on to perform in a number of musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats and Miss Saigon.But what many fans may not know is that the star secretly paid for his dance lessons by working as a rent boy while he worked as a sous chef as a teenager.While living as a teenager in Australia, the former drag queen revealed he was approached by a sugar daddy who was willing to pay for his dance lessons in exchange for sexual favours.Speaking to Cheltenham Literary Festival, the Strictly judge revealed: “He said, ‘I will pay for your classes but you come away with me and we do the dirty’.”Craig – who was just 17-years-old at the time – now credits the mystery man for all of his success as a professional dancer and celebrity judge.The award-winning dancer went on to

READ MORE: Strictly star wouldn't have romance with pro as he wouldn't give body away 'willy nilly' “My upper body is wondering what is going on.”The Ted Lasso actress said she had no idea how tough Strictly would be when she signed up, and told how dancing on the hit BBC show was giving her nightmares.Ellie, 38, said: “I’m loving it but Strictly is full on. I expected it to be really physical because you are so active training all the time.“But it’s the mental side of things which is harder, especially because I know I am not the best dancer.“I have a little wobble every day.

Strictly Come Dancing has delivered in providing TV audiences with Saturday night entertainment and some truly unforgettable performances and moments.First airing in 2004, the epic BBC competition seemed like a show like no other, with its jaw-dropping spectacles, impeccable wardrobes and witnessing a whole host of celebs - good or bad - take to the dance floor.Viewers can sometimes even forget that the show is a competition, and outside of its glitz and glam, there's no doubt unexpected rivalries, behind-the-scenes chaos, and ongoing feuds have led to some very intense moments.READ MORE: Strictly curse babies – Rachel Riley's sweet arrival, health woes and pregnancy rumoursDaily Star digs deep and takes a look at some of Strictly's most notorious bust-ups and vendettas over the show's 20 series.Strictly's head judge Shirley Ballas has hit back at allegations of sexism after saying she would have saved Richie Anderson over Fleur East in this years Strictly.The judge was hit with a wave of anger from fans over some of her comments about the female celebs, particularly of Ellie Taylor.Even pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin called out Shirley for her remarks, and some viewers even demanded Shirley be sacked.Taking to Twitter, She explained that while the nasty comments made her "resilient", a "wall goes up".Shirley insisted that she "doesn't have a mean bone in [her] body" and that her comments come from 45 years of experience in the tough dancing world." Gorka was fuming when he wasn’t given a celebrity partner in 2019 after winning with Katie Piper the year before.So, when footballer Alex Scott’s professional partner, Neil Jones, was injured in training, he was even madder when he wasn’t chosen to replace him.Instead, Strictly

Strictly Come Dancing fans got more than they bargained for at the weekend when Tony Adams stripped off to perform his Full Monty inspired Samba routine.The former England footballer didn't hold back during his saucy routine to You Sexy Thing as he strutted his stuff around the stage in a pair of sparkly underpants after stripping off his shirt and trousers.While Tony, 56, is the most recent Strictly star to strip off he certainly isn't alone in shedding his clothes and joins a long line of celebs we've seen hitting the dancefloor who aren't afraid to flash a little flesh. READ MORE:Strictly's Shirley Ballas holds back tears as she breaks silence on 'sexism' claimsHere we look at the Strictly stars who haven't shied away from getting their kit off over the years.Tess started her career as a model and quickly won herself a huge fanbase when she took up TV presenting too.Her svelte curves and stunning face coupled with her tall and elegant frame made her a favourite for not only lads mags but even lingerie brands.She also once appeared completely naked in a music video.Kym stripped off when she posed on the cover of Marie Claire magazine alongside her Hear'say bandmates Myleene Klass and Suzanne Shaw.She's already proving a huge hit on the current series of Strictly with her expert moves and flexibility and even got credited with the "performance of the series" so far by Anton Du Beke after performing her Charleston at the weekend.When it comes to sexy Strictly stars it doesn't get much raunchier than Denise Van Outen.

Strictly Come Dancing panel alongside Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood from 2004 until 2009. As the professional dancer discussed her partnership with Wiltshire Farm Foods, Arlene revealed whether she would ever return to Strictly as a judge.Arlene was replaced on the BBC dance show in 2009 by Alesha Dixon.Having been away from the show for many years and still being a huge fan, Express.co.uk asked Arlene if she would ever return.She replied: "It's not a question I would ever ask myself because it's not going to happen.So why even think about it?"However, I can say I loved the show and I loved being part of it and I do miss it."This comes after Arlene told The Mirror last year that she was never told why she was taken off Strictly.She revealed: "I gave myself 48 hours to kick, scream, cry and sob, and eat scones with cream and jam, then I made myself wake up and get on with it," she told the newspaper."I reflect and think, wow, I really didn’t ask the questions I needed to ask.

STRICTLY'S Kaye Adams says flirty judge Shirley Ballas has nothing to apologise for - other than being an older woman. The Loose Women presenter, 59, claims "ageism and sexism" are behind accusations the 62-year-old favours younger male celebs. Kaye admits trolling from the BBC show opened her eyes to the resentment of ageing women on TV - but it didn't stop her proudly flinging her legs up in the air on top of a 27-year-old dancer.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its 20th series this weekend, as our favourite celebrities took to the dance floor to perform dazzling routines. From Ellie Simmonds to Kaye Adams, a brilliant line-up of stars waltzed across the dancefloor to impress the judges and viewers at home.

Strictly Come Dancing tour will be waltzing its way across the UK in 2023, giving fans the chance to see their favourite stars up close.For the first time, Anton du Beke will be joining fellow judges Shirley Ballas and Craig Revel Horwood for the nationwide tour - which is taking place in January and February next year.Professional dancer and It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara will be hosting the much-anticipated tour one again. The show will star many of the celebrities and professional dancers from the current BBC series, in what promises to be a Strictly spectacular occasion.

The One Show host Alex Jones raised laughs with an unexpected jibe at co-presenter Ronan Keating as they chatted to singer Fleur East about landing in the dreaded dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing. Last weekend Manchester's Hits Radio presenter Fleur was in the bottom two with her professional dance partner Vito Coppola.

Shirley Ballas has responded to the massive amount of criticism she has received recently over her comments on Strictly Come Dancing.The head judge was slammed this week after she made comments about female celebrities – particularly Olympian Ellie Simmonds.Then during movie week, Shirley was berated online after saying she would’ve saved Richie Anderson and Giovanni Pernice over the couple that was ultimately saved, Fleur East and Vito Coppola. Some fans called for the Latin dance champ to be sacked, while others demanded an apology. Shirley, 62, has now responded to the criticism while talking to the panellists on Loose Women via video call on Wednesday 12 October.

Strictly Come Dancing fans have already said this weekend's show has been 'spoiled' as they discovered the song and dance choices for week four. Following Movie Week special last week, this Saturday will see the remaining 13 couples take to the ballroom with a brand new routine.