Strictly stars Shirley Ballas and Vito Coppola’s joint dance company retained £83,000 in cash in its first-year accounts, according to reports.
However, unnamed insiders have now raised questions about the Strictly Come Dancing head judge’s impartiality.
The Sun‘s claims follow a separate commercial row involving Shirley and a cruise dance event. That controversy concerned the alleged unauthorised use of Strictly branding, while the latest dispute focuses on her professional relationship with Vito.
The Sun’s report did not provide evidence that Dance With Us had influenced Shirley’s scores or voting decisions on Strictly. The reported concerns centre on how the arrangement could look if Vito became involved in a closely fought result.
What is Strictly stars Shirley Ballas and Vito Coppola’s Dance With Us venture?
Shirley and Vito launched Dance With Us last year, giving members of the public the chance to learn from the two Strictly stars.
The £100 sessions included a dance lesson and a meet-and-greet. Events took place in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, The Sun reports.
Promotional material promised a “fun and accessible dance experience for all ages and skill levels – even if you’ve never danced before!” The company’s annual accounts reportedly show that it retained £83,000 in cash after meeting the costs of getting the venture started.
Shirley brings decades of experience to the classes. She has served as Strictly’s head judge since 2017 and has won multiple British and US Latin American titles.
Vito joined the BBC programme’s professional line-up in 2022. He reached the final with Fleur East in his first series before lifting the Glitterball trophy with Ellie Leach in 2023.
Why has the Strictly business relationship caused concern?
An unnamed insider questioned whether Shirley could remain neutral while working with one of Strictly’s professional dancers outside the programme.
They told The Sun: “It’s ridiculous that Shirley is even in business with Vito – how can she be an impartial judge if she relies on Vito for her money-spinning business?
“If it comes down to a choice between Vito and another dancer going home, she’s hardly going to choose her business partner, is she? She’ll keep him on TV for another week to boost business.”
The source also claimed that people behind the scenes feared the arrangement could disadvantage dancers who do not have a business connection to a judge. These remain anonymous, unproven allegations.
ED! has contacted representatives for Shirley, Vito and the BBC for comment.
Shirley Ballas has faced Strictly bias complaints before
The latest claims revive a long-running debate around Shirley’s judging. Some viewers accused her of favouring Pete Wicks during the 2024 series after she praised his hip movements and suggested she could overlook some mistakes.
Strictly later changed its dance-off voting system so the casting vote rotates among the judges, rather than always resting with the head judge.
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