Vick Hope reveals producers called in with judges before 'Strictly' elimination

Vick Hope has fuelled talk of a ‘fix’ on Strictly Come Dancing, claiming that producers of the show had a conference with judges prior to their decision on last night’s dance off.

Radio presenter Hope and her partner Graziano Di Prima were voted off the show last night, following a head-to-head with Seann Walsh and Katya Jones.

Many thought that Hope and Di Prima’s dance bettered that of Walsh and Jones, the latter couple having scarcely been out of the headlines since they were caught kissing after a boozy night out in London.

But speaking on Capital Breakfast this morning, Hope’s co-hosts Roman Kemp joked ‘it’s not the best kisser’ that should go through to the next round.

Hope replied: “We had to have a dance off as well – it was very strange – so after the dance off, then the judges have to give their decisions but there was a bit of a conflab with some producers and then they gave their decisions, and it was just stunned silence in the studio, it was a really weird atmosphere.”

King also asked Hope about her seemingly frosty relationship between head judge Shirley Ballas.

“Shirley Ballas, one of the judges on Strictly… my mum called me saying ‘why does Shirley Ballas hate Vick Hope?’” he asked.

“I wish I knew,” replied Hope. “I think I’ve gotta be careful what I say here, because you never know what someone’s thinking. And it was from week one that people were suggesting there was something there, I don’t know.

“It’s been consistent and Saturday night I really felt it was just weird, wasn’t it? I’d never really been spoken to like that. She really relished in it.”

Hope did laud praise on judge Craig Revel Horwood, however, who voted in her favour in the dance off.

“You know what, after the show he was the only judge who came up to me, he hugged me, we chatted for ages, we had a drink together, he said he was really sad to see me go,” she said.

“He’s really nice. He’s like a puppy dog, he just puts on the whole act.”

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