Strictly pro goes into goal row as he slams Shirley Ballas

STRICTLY Come Dancing professional James Jordan has criticized Shirley Ballas for giving Eddie Kadi the top 10 of the series.

The 63-year-old head judge awarded the big score to Eddie Kadi after his impressive Men In Black performance with Karen Hauer, which the pair chose.

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Shirley said: “If you do something well, it needs to be rewarded. It was chic, it had style, it was edgy, it was entertaining, you found your groove.”

“Everything you love about dance you could bring to the table today as a partnership, I absolutely loved it.”

Comedians Eddie and Karen were completely taken aback by the score.

And that goes for former Strictly star James, 45, who said there were “three better dances” before Eddie’s performance that deserved a higher score.

After Eddie’s performance, James wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “No Shirley – what were you thinking???”

“There are already three better dances this evening. FACT not.” Opinion.”

His comment divided fans, with one commenting: “What we see on TV is different to what the judges see because they are so close and can see every little movement. FACT!!!”

But James hit back, writing: “Okay – I’m sure you know how the show works better than me,” while laughing Emojis and a thumbs-up emoji.

While many fans agreed with James and said that the early 10 was a surprise.

One wrote: “Agree, not worth a 10… reviews are all over the place this week.”

Another posted: “I’m so sad at how Strictly is turning out pointless. Judging and evaluating makes no sense.

A third added: “I absolutely agree this was never a 10. Angela and Amanda to name two must be angry.”

Eddie, 40, dedicated the dance to his family, who immigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said he had a “whole different level of respect for street dance” after his performance.

Those watching at home were furious at the decision, accusing Shirley of having a favorite but at the same time calling for the couple’s choice to be scrapped.

In a departure from the traditional ballroom style, the “Couple’s Choice” dance category was introduced in 2018.

In this category, approaching couples can choose from one of three new styles that they believe best showcase their celebrity’s moves.

Each week a couple takes on this new category.

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