Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas is facing claims of a "fix" on the upcoming series after it was revealed she has a close relationship with celebrity contestant Dani Dyer.
The BBC programme is the broadcaster's flagship autumn entertainment show, pairing celebrities with professional partners for weekly live ballroom and Latin routines. Ballas, 65, joined the panel in 2017, replacing Len Goodman as head judge. In that role, she holds the casting vote when the panel is tied during the weekly dance-off, deciding which couple leaves the competition.
Questions of potential favouritism have emerged because Ballas and Dyer, 30, spent significant time together in 2019 when they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Comic Relief.
Comic Relief is a major British charity founded by Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry. The 2019 fundraising challenge saw a group of celebrities scale Africa's highest peak in Tanzania for a BBC documentary. Other participants on the climb included former politician Ed Balls and broadcaster Dan Walker.
A source told The Sun that the shared experience on the mountain had brought Ballas and the Love Island winner close together. Love Island is the popular ITV reality dating show which Dyer won in 2018.
"Shirley and Dani have been through a tough experience together, which bonded them for life," the source said.
"Shirley was like a second mother to Dani during that trip and they spent quality time together.
"Some pro dancers are worried that Shirley will favour Dani and be less tough on her because of their shared history. Of course, Shirley is a professional but it is hard to be objective when you have a genuine soft spot for someone."
However, another source pointed out that Ballas had also completed the charity hike with Walker, who previously took part in Strictly. The source noted that Ballas "was able to objectively judge him", and ultimately voted him out in a dance-off.
The BBC and representatives for Ballas were contacted by the Daily Mail for comment.
Dance experience row
The revelation follows a separate row earlier this month over the dance backgrounds of this year's contestants. According to a report in The Sun, nine of the 15 celebrities have past dance experience, giving 60 per cent of the cast a potential advantage.
Dyer, who is starring in the series alongside EastEnders actress Lacey Turner and hairstylist Chris Appleton, described herself as a "qualified dancer" in her 2019 autobiography. As a child, she attended O'Farrell's Stage School in east London on weekends for 12 years.
Other contestants also have significant performing arts backgrounds. Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb spent two years as a pupil at The Dance School of Scotland, before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and making appearances in the West End. Emmerdale is ITV's long-running rural soap opera.
Before his appearance on Love Island, Cach Mercer worked as a professional dancer specialising in hip-hop and Afrobeats.
Singer Delta Goodrem took lessons in dancing, singing and acting as a child, while Turner attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School in her youth. Turner is best known for playing Stacey Slater on EastEnders, the BBC's flagship soap opera.
Jaime Winstone completed a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Harlow College in Essex, taking a course that covered dancing, musical theatre and production. A BTEC is a vocational qualification commonly taken by British students.
House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia studied musical theatre at the BOA Creative, Digital and Performing Arts Academy in Birmingham. Antonia plays Lady Baela Targaryen in the HBO fantasy prequel to Game of Thrones.
Melanie Walters, known for playing Gwen West in the beloved BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, appeared in a Cinderella pantomime as the Fairy Godmother at the Bournemouth Pavilion during last year's festive season.
Meanwhile, presenter and author Graeme Hall, also known as 'The Dogfather', competed in a local dance competition called 'Strictly Northampton' in 2012.
The Daily Mail contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing for comment at the time.
New professional dancers
The upcoming series will also feature five new professional dancers, who were seen heading to rehearsals for the first time on Sunday.
The new arrivals follow the departure of several established professionals. Bosses dropped Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez in what was described as an axe "bloodbath".
Making their debuts this autumn will be Ukrainian dancer Aleksandra Isaeva, Italian Cristian Priori, South African Latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, Canadian dancer Mark Karmalita, and UK National Ballroom Champion Maddie Ingoldsby.
