Strictly Come Dancing’s Maddie Ingoldsby has seemingly had her say after coming under fire from viewers over her routines with celebrity partner Cach Mercer.
The 21-year-old professional has found herself at the centre of a growing debate among fans, with some questioning whether her choreography is holding Cach back in the competition.
But rather than getting into a war of words with her critics, Maddie appears to have chosen a rather different way of making her feelings known.
On Monday, she uploaded a TikTok video featuring a viral sound in which she’s asked what she does. Her lip-synced answer? “My best.”
The short clip followed a disappointing Saturday night for the pair, who received 24 out of 40 for their Cha Cha.
And although Maddie didn’t name her critics or explain her creative decisions, the timing of the post certainly caught attention amid the ongoing discussion.
While some fans believe Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby could be delivering much stronger performances, others reckon the new professional deserves a little more credit.
Strictly fans question whether Maddie is making the most of Cach’s talent
There’s no denying Cach has dancing ability, but whether his Strictly routines are giving him enough opportunities to demonstrate it is another matter entirely.
And following the couple’s latest performance, several viewers made their frustrations known on X.
One fan felt Maddie could benefit from some extra guidance, writing: “Maddie is a great dancer, but can someone support her with the choreography here? Because Cach could do the technical moves needed and have a fantastic dance.”
Another suggested the newcomer needed to pay closer attention to what the judging panel wanted from each routine.
They complained: “First year as a pro on Strictly for Maddie and I hope she’s taking on board that the judges expect to see elements of the dance they’re expected to be performing. She’s letting Cach down a bit for me because he’s a capable dancer!”
One particularly unhappy viewer didn’t hold back, declaring: “Maddie needs to go next year. She’s really letting her partner down week after week.”
However, the criticism hasn’t gone unchallenged.
For some fans, the complaints seem especially harsh considering the couple have already proved they can impress the judges.
One viewer defended Maddie’s work, writing: “I’m tired of all the Maddie criticism I’m seeing. ‘Yet to choreograph something that worked’ what about the foxtrot last week that got them top of the leaderboard? Her routines have been great.”
Another raised the possibility that Cach’s existing dance experience could be making certain habits harder to leave behind. However, they still believed Maddie had improvements to make.
And one fan was full of praise for the couple’s ballroom skills.
They wrote: “Their foxtrot last week was brilliantly put together and some of the best ballroom choreography on Strictly in a while.”
Clearly, viewers aren’t quite seeing eye to eye when it comes to Maddie’s first series as a professional.
Strictly judge delivers brutal verdict on Cach and Maddie’s Cha Cha
Maddie might be new to the professional line-up, but dancing itself is hardly unfamiliar territory.
The 21-year-old Strictly star reportedly began training at the British Theatre Academy when she was just six years old.
Her celebrity partner Cach, 25, also arrived with a performance background. As well as being a former Love Island winner, he has professional dance experience.
That experience was something the judges appeared particularly conscious of when assessing their latest routine.
The couple took to the floor for a Cha Cha to Måneskin’s Beggin’. But the performance left the panel less than impressed.
Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas each reached for their five paddles, with Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke awarding sevens.
The result was a total of 24 points, but it was Motsi’s feedback that really stood out.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse ‘at risk of leaving show’
Addressing Cach, she told him: “It would have been a disaster, but it was saved by your talent.”
Ouch!
Her assessment suggested Cach’s ability had helped rescue a routine that otherwise failed to deliver what she expected from a Cha Cha.
It’s quite the contrast to the previous week’s Icons Week performance, when the pair danced a foxtrot to Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York.
That performance received glowing feedback across the judging panel and sent the couple to the top of the leaderboard.
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday, October 31 from 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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