Shirley Ballas talked about almost quitting Strictly Come Dance due to the abuse she received from trolls in 2022.

The dancing champion took over as head judge of the BBCcelebrity competition series in 2017, replacing longtime panelist Len Goodman.

While Ballas was sometimes criticized by viewers for her harsh criticism of contestants, things reached an “all-time low” in 2022. Many viewers claimed Ballas was “sexist” and used to to favor male candidates over women due to a perceived “jealousy”.

In a new interview with The temperatureBallas, 63, said things hit an “all-time low” during last year’s series.

Describing how the trolling had “gone out of control”, Ballas said she had been left in tears after every show because she was the target of “the most negativity” she had ever had.

“Some messages were so cruel,” Ballas told the publication, describing how some viewers perceived her as particularly cruel toward young women or black candidates.

She continued, “How ugly you are, and how fat you are, and how horrible your arms are, and, ‘You don’t like men.’ You don’t like women. You don’t like black men. You don’t like black women.

“And then once it starts rolling, it goes even deeper, and then it becomes personal, about your being, about your appearance.”

Ballas was particularly criticized for a dance decision, where the head judge voted to save radio presenter Richie Anderson, seen by many as one of the competition’s “joke acts” on the singer and Strictly favorite Flower East.

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While the other judges voted unanimously to save East, meaning she automatically advanced to the following week, Ballas’ decision offended viewers. It has previously been claimed that other black women, including Alexandra Burke in 2017 and AJ Odudu in 2021, have been underestimated by the Strictly jury.

For the next series, which launches on Saturday (September 16) before the first live show next week (September 23), Ballas said she has hired someone to help with her social media.

“I go with a much lighter heart, without taking things so personally. I have a new gentleman joining me, Harry Surplus, from the University of Manchester, 21 years old. A mathematician,” she said.

“He’s going to take care of all my social media. It will filter. My mother loves it. Sorry, trolls, but Harry will step in this year.

Strictly Come Dance returns on Saturday September 16 at 6:35 p.m. on BBC One.