5 Worst Strictly Come Dancing judges - and no.1 is a national treasure

Strictly Come Dancing recently returned to screens for an all-new series, featuring a cast that includes Emmerdale's Lewis Cope and EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal. The judges for this year's season are led by head judge Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse.

While most BBC viewers tune in to see how the celebrity contestants and their professional partners progress in the ballroom dancing competition, many are eager to hear the judges' critiques and see those all-important scores. But what judges have been the worst in the show's history? Here, express.co.uk has compiled the judges who have missed the mark...

Anton du Beke was my favourite professional dancer on the show - after all, he's been on Strictly since the programme's inception. He oozes charisma, has never been embroiled in any controversies, and appears to be a true gentleman who adores ballroom dancing. I was excited when he was announced as a new judge on Strictly in 2021. However, he's simply too soft on the contestants and seems afraid to offer any constructive criticism. Is he afraid of being disliked by the public? Surely Craig Revel Horwood can't be the only judge fearless enough to speak his mind? " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty" data-licensor-name="Getty" /> Strictly Come Dancing panel, but I could never warm to her. Yes, she clearly knows her Cha Cha Chas from her Tangos, but I feel she lacked likability, and her feedback was too technical for viewers without a dancing background to grasp. While I do feel bad about the ageism she faced from viewers, she just didn't have a spark like current head judge Shirley Ballas has. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty" data-licensor-name="Getty" /> Alesha Dixon ruffled feathers when she replaced Arlene as a judge in 2009 after winning the competition. However, the 47-year-old doesn't have a ballroom background, and the choice for her to be cast as a judge was baffling. She works on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, so why she was selected to join the Strictly team will forever be a mystery. Luckily, she didn't last long... " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty" data-licensor-name="Getty" />