Strictly judges are ‘furious’ that its most talented celebrity dancers are being booted off the show while the less able ones stay.

Craig Revel Horwood in particular is said to be ‘stunned’ at how the likes of athlete Montell Douglas and actor Jamie Borthwick have been evicted, while reality TV star Pete Wicks made it to the semi-final despite having far lower scores than fellow competitors.

Strictly has always regarded itself as more serious than other reality series, but the judges and some BBC bosses now fear that it is becoming a popularity contest.

Their concerns come after Wicks and the programme’s first blind contestant, comedian Chris McCausland, 47, made it to last night’s semi-final – meaning at least one of them will make it through to next week’s final.

The situation has created a dilemma, with insiders fearing the two men will win places at the expense of others, such as model Tasha Ghouri and singer JB Gill – who have received high scores.

A source said: ‘For the judges, this shift has been difficult. They are dancers and choreographers. Their entire careers – and lives – have been about being the best and the very best dancing. So to see the show becoming about who likes who the most rather than the quality of their dancing… you could say it is rather depressing.

‘To think that Pete has had a risk-free journey on the show, while Tasha and Montell have faced the dance-off has made those at the top question what the future of Strictly looks like.

‘It is turning into a popularity contest rather than a dance one.’

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Reality TV star Pete Wicks made it to the semi-final despite having far lower scores than fellow competitors

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Insiders fear Wicks will win a place at the expense of others, such as modelTasha Ghouri and singer JB Gill – who have received high scores

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Craig Revel Horwood in particular is said to be ‘stunned’ at how the likes of athlete Montell Douglas and actor Jamie Borthwick have been evicted

Pete and Jowita impress with powerful Tango performance on Strictly

Ms Douglas, 38, was evicted last Sunday following a dance-off with Tasha Ghouri, who has danced professionally. The week before, Ms Douglas beat Borthwick in the bottom two, sending him home.

Wicks, 36, and McCausland have yet to be in a dance-off.

Strictly used to recruit accomplished celebrity dancers, such as Layton Williams last year and Ashley Roberts in 2018. An insider said: ‘Those watching at home love to watch beautiful dancing.

‘It is joyous for them to watch a perfect performance. But the landscape has changed, and it is causing a bit of a crisis. We are looking at a final where the dancing is nowhere up to the standards it usually is, but instead has the celebrities that people actually enjoy watching.

‘But the public vote, and they have the right to say who they want in the show.’