Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has addressed allegations that he and the other judges were asked to manipulate the results of the show in order to keep certain contestants in the competition. This comes after viewers accused the show of giving higher scores to Angela Rippon, a former presenter of the series Come Dancing, to ensure she remained on the show until its annual trip to Blackpool.
No Fixing of Results
In an interview with Jane Garvey on Times Radio, Anton Du Beke dismissed the claims that the judges were asked to "fix" the voting. He stated that he has never been instructed to manipulate the results to favor any particular contestant. He emphasized that if Angela Rippon had performed poorly in the first week, she would have been the first to be eliminated.
Angela Rippon's Journey to Blackpool
Anton Du Beke confirmed that Angela Rippon deserved her place in the competition and that the judges chose not to eliminate her because she was worthy of a spot in the dance-off. He dismissed the suggestion that the judges care more about who stays in the competition, emphasizing that it makes no difference to them. According to Anton, the producers do not interfere with the judges' decisions and do not express any preferences regarding the contestants.
Angela Rippon's Elimination
Despite making it to Blackpool, Angela Rippon and her partner Kai Widdrington were in the dance-off against Bobby Brazier and his partner Dianne Buswell. Bobby Brazier emerged as the winner, resulting in Angela's elimination from the competition.
Reflecting on her experience on the show, Angela Rippon expressed gratitude for the past nine weeks and described it as a terrifying, fantastic, glorious, and joyful experience. She acknowledged that her participation in the show was different from her previous role as a presenter of Come Dancing and stated that being on this side of the competition has been an eye-opener for her.
