Strictly row erupts as Richard Madeley blasts judges over Balvinder Sopal’s scores

Richard Madeley sparked a huge row on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two after giving a harsh criticism to the judging panel.

The Good Morning Britain presenter appeared on Friday night’s episode of Fleur East’s presentation and did not mince words as she took aim at what she saw as the unfair treatment of EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal.

Richard emphasized that Balvinder was “consistently underrated and underserved” and argued that despite “good scores” he continues to be “underlined by the judges” and unfairly ignored by viewers.

He stated that he believed he was one of the ‘best’ celebrities left in the competition, adding that he ‘never understood’ why he fell into the bottom two.

However, appearing on the sofa alongside Dragons Den Sara Davies and Paralympian Sammi Kinghorn, Richard admitted he had his doubts about the upcoming Jive, defending his natural talent while suggesting the fast-paced choreography might not suit him.

He said: ‘I’m not sure jive is a natural dance for him. Full of warmth, elegance and charm. It’s beautiful when it moves. I’m not sure this joke is for him. I think it will take some effort. ‘I don’t think you’ll get a 10.’

Her outspoken comments immediately set social media abuzz, with many viewers applauding her for speaking what they were thinking.

Addressing X, they wrote: ‘To be honest, I understand where Richard is coming from with Jive in relation to Honey. Honey is warm and her movements are very nice, which I think is the opposite of what is needed in jive. I think he’ll bring that energy and absolutely smash it. Go to #TeamBalian

‘Finally Richard said what we were all thinking. I hope he succeeds and that joke looks good to me.’

‘Exactly this! It was necessary to say what Richard said; underlined and belittled. Bring Jive ❤️ ‘

‘I feel really bad for Honey, I think they’re throwing her under the bus lv xx Honey, she’s truly amazing Bal ❤’

Balvinder heads into the weekend as the bookies’ favorite to leave the programme; Betway has her placed at 250/1, with the semi-finals just two weeks away, significantly lower than other at-risk stars including Alex Kingston at 33/1 and Amber Davies at 20/1.

Richard’s comments come after Balvinder revealed it was ‘not always easy to keep it together’ behind the ‘glitz and glamor’ of Strictly after going out dancing four times in eight weeks.

The EastEnders actress, 46, and her professional partner Julian Caillon, 30, have had a tough time in the competition so far.

The Good Morning Britain presenter appeared on Friday night’s episode of Fleur East’s presentation and did not mince words as she took aim at what she saw as the unfair treatment of EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal.

Richard stated that Balvinder was “consistently underrated and underserved”, arguing that despite “good scores” he continued to be “underlined by the judges” and unfairly ignored by audiences.

He stated that he believes he is one of the ‘best’ celebrities left in the competition, adding that he ‘doesn’t understand at all’ why he fell into the bottom two.

But defending his natural talent, Richard – who appeared on the sofa alongside Dragons Den Sara Davies and Paralympian Sammi Kinghorn – admitted he had doubts about his upcoming Jive, suggesting the fast-paced choreography might not suit him (Photo taken while practicing ahead of Saturday night’s show)

Her outspoken comments immediately set social media abuzz, with many viewers applauding her for speaking what they were thinking.

Richard’s comments come after Balvinder revealed it was ‘not always easy to keep it together’ behind the ‘glitz and glamor’ of Strictly after going out dancing four times in eight weeks.

In an Instagram post after the show, he opened up about his journey and how he performed ahead of Blackpool last weekend.

In one post he wrote: ‘Behind the glitz and glamor, the spectacle and drama are real people’s lives. ‘We still have to sort out what goes on outside the rehearsal room and the dance floor, and it’s not always easy to keep it all together.’

And on Sunday they were once again in the bottom two; which resulted in their rescue and Vicky Pattison being sent home in ‘the most shocking elimination ever’.

He described his journey in an Instagram post after the show and described how he performed ahead of Blackpool next weekend.

In a post on Instagram on Sunday he wrote: ‘Team Balian is heading to Blackpool!!!!! American Smooth Foxtrot is now one of my favorite dances. I loved dancing with @julian_caillon and it felt like it was just me and him on the dance floor ☺️

‘Behind the glitz and glamour, the spectacle and drama are the lives of real people. We still have to figure out what’s going on outside of the rehearsal room and the dance floor, and it’s not always easy to keep it together.

‘But what we do – against all odds – is get on stage every week and tell a story, whether it’s the dance itself or because of the dance. We always tell a story.

‘Because we are actually storytellers. And now we’re writing another chapter in the story of #Balian in Blackpool with one of my favorite dances of all time (to be announced soon) – someone is definitely shining on us. I didn’t think we’d make it this far but I’m so grateful and excited to still be here

‘Jules… you are the epitome of strength, just when I thought we couldn’t… you push and unlock another level for us as a team and individually. Proud of you and #Balian.’