19 November 2023 , 10:27
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Strictly Come Dancing fans have hit out at the judges' chaotic marking that left Nigel Harman "fuming" following his Blackpool Week performance.
Former EastEnders star Nigel and his professional dance partner, Katya Jones, wowed the audience with a Quickstep to It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) by Duke Ellington. However, their lively routine left them with a score of just 31 placing them in the bottom two of the week nine leaderboard alongside Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington.
Nigel and Katya were awarded a seven by Craig Revel Horwood, and eights from Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton du Beke. After the scores raised the 50-year old's eyebrows, co-host Claudia Winkleman reassured him: "You did good. You were utterly brilliant."
Nigel Harman was clearly unimpressed with the judges' scoring of his Quickstep (BBC)And as Katya appeared to console the actor, Claudia continued: "You can show your support in a few moments when the voting opens. I don't want you to be disappointed, I can't bear it. We will stop the show and just look after you. Can everyone cuddle him while I do some reading."
Speaking backstage afterwards, meanwhile, a downbeat Nigel declared: "Torture, its just torture." Katya responded: "It' ok - we closed Blackpool!" Nigel continued: "Yeah there's worse things happening in the world. We definitely closed Blackpool. The show was going really well I thought... and then I came on."
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Fans soon took to Instagram to express their disappointment and anger at the judges' ratings too. "It's so sad that, after the amazing performance they gave, the judges made him feel so underapreciated and undermarked," one said. "His anger was so palpable... all my votes to Nigel, he needs a break from the negative comments. He's brilliant!"
Another agreed: "Angela Rippon made mistakes yet they cheer her and tell her it was amazing but poor Nigel gets slated! Judges are biased! Get rid of Craig he's spoiling the show with his rubbish comments! Contradicts himself every single time he opens his mouth! Tactical scoring to keep the favourites in."
A third raged: "I think the judges have a problem with Nigel. He's almost always underscored and they criticize him more harshly than the others. He seemed irritated and I understood why. I was also surprised by his scores. He and Katya were great, and the choreography was great."
A fourth commented: "Always under marked and picked apart!! Obviously no one else makes mistakes and are foot perfect!! Don’t believe it!!!!!!! Im getting a little peeved now." Whilst a fifth said: "Nigel fuming... AS HE SHOULD BE."