STRICTLY’s Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke have both come under fire for over-marking Pete Wicks again.

In a return to the main studio after last week’s Blackpool Special, Pete and professional dancer Jowita Przystał opened week 10 with a Tango to Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Earth Wind and Fire’s Philip Bailey.

6

6

6

Dressed in a sleek black suit, the pair were praised for Pete’s top line, but criticized for seeming to hesitate during some of the moves.

They scored a score of 29, with Craig Revel-Horwood making six, Motsi Mabuse making seven, while Shirley and Anton gave him both an eight.

The differing scores fueled fan sentiment that Shirley has been playing favorites with Pete throughout the series.

One venting her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “Shirley agreed with Motsi’s criticism but still gave Pete a higher score than her.”

“Shirley and Anton overmark, surprise..not,” said another, as a third wrote. “Knew Shirley would over-mark Pete”

“Shirley loves visual improvement. Anton thinks Pete has improved massively. Give 8s. Madness,” said a third.

While a fourth wrote. “Pete’s Tango was what you would expect in week 3 not week 10. WTF were those 8 paddles!?”

Shirley has previously fought back against the criticismsays she’s “not going anywhere” despite one demands that she be fired picked up steam.

“Strictly is the light of my life and the lives of my friends,” she said.

“Especially my mum, she’s that armchair watcher sitting there in that little pink dressing gown she’s had for a thousand years, either with her arms crossed because she didn’t agree with what I said or very inviting and wanted to make me a cuppa tea.”

“I have a lot of friends who say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have sent this home, you shouldn’t have sent that one,'” she added.

“And then I’ll say, ‘have you voted?’ And they didn’t vote, so therefore you have no right to complain if you don’t vote.”

The score comes after Pete became the bookies’ favorite to leave this week as he falls behind his fellow competitors.

Fans were shocked he survived last week’s dance-off after a disastrous pink neon cha cha to Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy.

Wynne Evans instead got his marching orders after falling in the dance-off with Montell Douglas.

6

6

6