Lorraine Kelly takes swipe at 'trained dancers' in this year's Strictly Come Dancing
Lorraine Kelly did not hold back in criticising the number of "trained dancers" taking part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing during her eponymous ITV show on Monday (13.10.25).
Lorraine Kelly has criticised the number of "trained dancers" taking part in Strictly Come Dancing.
During Monday's (13.10.25) episode of the 65-year-old TV host's eponymous ITV show, she took a swipe as her 63-year-old colleague Ross King - who is the Los Angeles Correspondent on her eponymous ITV show, as well as Good Morning Britain - opened up about his elimination from the BBC's Latin and Ballroom dance show on Sunday (12.10.25) and reflected on his Strictly Come Dancing experience.
Ross - whose professional dance partner was 31 year old Jowita Przystal - commented on the standard of dancing this year as a few contestants - including Amber Davies and Lewis Cope - have dance experience, but not in Latin or Ballroom.
He told Lorraine: "The standard this year ... I think it has been ..."
Lorraine chimed in with: "Can I just say, from my point of view, I think there's too many trained dancers in it for me.
"The reason I enjoy the show is to watch people like you - if you don't mind me saying, you know this - getting better, and better and better.
"That, to me, is what the show is about and should be about.
"I know you wouldn't say that because you're too lovely, but I think there's too many - in my opinion, there's too many experienced people in it.
"It's kind of like, 'OK, that's great, but I'm not invested, and I'm not thinking, 'Go for it!'
"Whereas with you, I was like, 'Yes, Ross! Yeah!' Especially the dance that you did to The Proclaimers. That was beautiful."
West End star Amber Davies, 29, and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, 30, are some of the contestants taking part in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing with previous dance experience.
Lewis - who joined Strictly Come Dancing at the last minute after Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn, 49, withdrew due to injury - starred in the musical Billy Elliot, and appeared on Sky's Got to Dance, where he finished as a runner-up in the hip-hop dance troupe Ruff Diamond.
And the actor hit back at the "trained dancer" accusations before he and his 36-year-old professional dance partner Katya Jones topped the leaderboard, after their paso doble to The Plaza of Execution (Mask of Zorro theme) wowed the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, 60, Motsi Mabuse, 44, Shirley Ballas, 65, and 59 year old Anton Du Beke - on Saturday (11.10.25) night.
Lewis - who got the first 10 of the series, which was awarded by Motsi, on Saturday - told Metro: "I don't really know where all that came from, to be honest, I trained as an actor, I danced a bit when I was a teen, but haven't since.
"To call me professionally trained or a professional dancer seems a bit bizarre, especially now that I'm working with these pros on the show.
"It's kind of an insult to them, really, to suggest I'm on their level when they've dedicated their lives to becoming as brilliant as they are."
Like Lewis, Amber - who replaced Love Island star Dani Dyer, 29, after she withdrew from the competition after falling and fracturing her ankle during rehearsal on September 19, eight days before the first live programme - has starred in West End Shows, notably the Dolly Parton-inspired show 9-5 at the Savoy Theatre.
And she predicted the "trained dancer" criticism before agreeing to do Strictly Come Dancing.
Amber - whose professional dance partner is 27 year old Nikita Kuzmin - said on an episode of her Call to Stage podcast, which was recorded before she was asked if she wanted to join Strictly Come Dancing: "I feel like I know there will be like, 'She's trained.'
"Yes, I did train in musical theatre. However, I am a beginner when it comes to ballroom [and] Latin dancing.
"So I feel like I will be starting from scratch. I mean, I'll give it my all."
