Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 3 hrs ago
Strictly judges’ contracts are due to end as Shirley Ballas faces US speculation
All four Strictly Come Dancing judges have contracts due to end after this season.
Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse are expected to negotiate with the BBC.
Reports say the judges may leave, following presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s exits and controversy over this year’s format.
Ballas has been Strictly’s head judge since 2017 and has also judged the US spin-off The Next Pro.
That US role has fuelled speculation she could join Dancing With the Stars, where her son Mark Ballas is a professional dancer.
A brand and culture expert said the move could raise her profile, but she has not been confirmed as joining the US show.
The judges’ next contracts are still to be negotiated, and the BBC could face a major challenge replacing them if they all depart.
The contracts of all four Strictly Come Dancing judges are due to end at the end of the season.
The judges are Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse.
A report says Ballas may not return for a possible 11th series, amid speculation that she could join the US show Dancing With The Stars.
Ballas has been Strictly’s head judge since 2017 and has also judged the Dancing With The Stars spin-off The Next Pro.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede said a move to the US could raise Ballas’s profile, while warning that leaving Strictly without a clear plan could be risky.
- Who
- Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse. Ballas is the focus of speculation about a possible move to the US.
- What
- The four judges’ contracts are due to end, and Ballas may not return to Strictly.
- When
- Their contracts are due to end at the end of this season.
- Where
- Strictly Come Dancing in the UK; speculation concerns Dancing With The Stars in the US.
- Why
- The article links the speculation about Ballas to her US connections, including her work on The Next Pro and her son Mark’s role on Dancing With The Stars.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Shirley Ballas became head judge on Strictly Come Dancing.
The contracts of Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse are due to finish.
- Judges
- Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse
- Contract end
- End of this season
- Ballas’s Strictly role
- Head judge since 2017
- Possible next series
- A return would be Ballas’s 11th series
- US television credit
- Judge on Dancing With The Stars spin-off The Next Pro
What people are saying
Shirley is probably the one with the biggest opportunity internationally.
America could potentially make Shirley an even bigger star.
If several judges left at once, it could be a huge gamble for the BBC.