“Dancing with the Stars” pro Mark Ballas’ mother and longtime pro dancer Shirley Ballas set social media buzzing after posting a TikTok that fans quickly interpreted as playful but pointed shade toward DWTS judge Derek Hough.
The “Strictly Come Dancing” head judge shared the video earlier this month, casually referencing a low score she once handed out, paired with a Kim Kardashian audio clip. Ballas added her own caption for emphasis: “The Cha Cha wasn’t iconic tho.” Fans immediately connected the moment to ongoing conversations around scoring differences between “Strictly” and “DWTS.”
Fans Pick Up on the Subtle Jab
One fan jumped into the comments with a pointed message: “please teach the dwts judges that paddles with low numbers exist for a reason.” Ballas did not ignore it. She tagged Hough directly under the comment, a move that many fans viewed as intentional and cheeky.
According to Parade, viewers quickly praised Ballas for saying what many longtime fans have been thinking. Commenters applauded her no-nonsense approach and argued that “DWTS” judging has become overly generous, with consistently high scores regardless of performance quality. Others leaned into the drama, celebrating the moment as expert-level shade while joking about whether Ballas personally runs her TikTok account.
The video did not stay confined to TikTok for long. The moment spilled onto Reddit, where fans debated judging philosophies and whether “DWTS” has lost its edge compared to its U.K. counterpart. Several users cited Hough by name, pointing out that lower paddles are rarely used on the ABC competition series.
Others were quick to frame Ballas’ post as tough love rather than a genuine dig, noting her long-standing relationship with the Hough family and her reputation for holding dancers to strict technical standards.
A Score That Still Has Fans Talking
The TikTok also revived conversation around Ballas’ controversial scoring moment from earlier this year on “Strictly Come Dancing.” During a Week 4 live show in October 2025, Ballas awarded Drag Race UK star La Voix a shockingly low score of two for a Cha-Cha-Cha routine that went visibly off the rails.
The performance featured missed choreography and timing issues, making it one of the harshest scores seen that early in the competition. The decision sparked immediate backlash online and even raised eyebrows among fellow judges. Craig Revel Horwood later admitted Ballas may have been “a bit rough,” according to HuffPost UK.
Still, Ballas stood by her critique. Addressing the controversy in an interview with Attitude, she offered La Voix four words of advice that quickly became a headline of their own: “Remember your choreography, love.”
The moment ultimately reinforced why Ballas remains such a polarizing figure in the ballroom world. To her supporters, she represents accountability, discipline, and honest judging. To critics, her scores can feel unforgiving. Either way, her TikTok proved that fans are more than ready to revisit the conversation and they are watching closely.
As Ballas herself put it, fundamentals still matter, and when they do not land, the paddle reflects it: “Remember your choreography, love.”
