Shirley Ballas defends Strictly Come Dancing line-up following criticism

But Ballas has pointed out that this is not the same as already being a skilled dancer, especially when it comes to ballroom dancing.

"I think it's very unfair at this point to single out anybody because most children had a little bit of training," the head judge said to The Mirror.

"If somebody goes to stage school for singing and acting, there's always normally a little bit of dance included. It might not be their forte. It's nothing like learning ballroom dancing. It's a total discipline all of its own."

She also went so far as to say that even people who were already professional dancers in other disciplines might not necessarily be comfortable transitioning to ballroom dancing.

Read more:

• Strictly Come Dancing 2023 confirms Layton Williams as third contestant
• Strictly Come Dancing 2023 confirms Angela Scanlon for line-up

"You really have to learn to dance with a partner," she said. "That's four arms, four legs, two heads, two quarters... you've got to be intertwined and working together."

Scanlon and Williams are part of the 15-strong line-up for the upcoming Strictly season, with other contestants including Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, former Love Island star Zara McDermott and legendary broadcaster Angela Rippon.

Meanwhile, Ballas will once again be joined on the judging panel by Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Autumn. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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