Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Ola Jordan has made explosive claims about the show's judging panel, suggesting they employed a calculated tactic to ensure footballer Karen Carney's historic victory in the final. The 43-year-old dancer, writing in her column for Mecca Bingo, asserted that the judges' scoring created a 'sympathy vote' that propelled the former England star to win the Glitterball Trophy.
The 'Pantomime' Judging Tactic
Ola Jordan, who starred on the BBC show for a decade, described the judges' behaviour as 'pantomime'. She focused on the moment in the finale when Karen Carney and her professional partner Carlos Gu received a score of eight from the judges, while other couples were awarded higher marks. Ola believes this was a deliberate ploy to trigger a public reaction.
'In my opinion, that was done purposely because people go, "Oh my God, she’s the only one who got an eight, we’ve got to vote for her,"' Ola stated. 'They know how it works. They know when people are going to pick up the phone and when they’re not.'
A Worthy Winner Despite the Controversy
Despite her criticism of the judging process, Ola was clear that Karen Carney was a deserving champion because the public voted for her. Karen, 38, made history on Saturday by becoming the first footballer ever to lift the iconic Glitterball.
'She is a worthy winner because people voted for her,' Ola affirmed. 'It wasn’t about the judges' scores; it was only the public vote. At the end of the day, whoever the public wants to win is a worthy winner.'
However, Ola took issue with the combined voting system, arguing that judges are paid to score accurately and place couples correctly on the leaderboard. She expressed a desire for a return to more technical, critical feedback instead of universally positive comments. 'Nowadays, people are scared to say anything negative,' she claimed.
Strictly Rebuilds Karen's Confidence
The revelation about the judging comes as Karen Carney herself opened up about the profound personal impact of her Strictly Come Dancing journey. In an interview with The Telegraph, Karen revealed that facing years of vile trolling as a football pundit had 'crushed' her confidence.
She described receiving constant negative reinforcement, from her childhood in football to her media career. 'Entering the pundit space has crushed me over the last five or six years,' Karen confessed.
Her experience on Strictly, however, provided a turning point. After performing her first-week jive, she received 'positive reinforcement for what felt like the first time in 30 years.' She described the show as a 'safe place' where she could rebuild her shattered self-belief, countering those who questioned why she would join such a major show while feeling vulnerable.
Strictly Come Dancing will return for a festive special on Christmas Day on BBC One and iPlayer.
