Piers Morgan Criticises Strictly Come Dancing as ‘Unwatchable,’ Drawing Comparisons to Malodorous Cheese
22-Year-Old Ellie Leach Makes History as Youngest Winner of Strictly Come Dancing, but Piers Morgan Appears to Have Missed the Momentous TV Event
Almost ten million viewers tuned in to Saturday’s finale of Strictly Come Dancing, but it appears that Piers Morgan wasn’t among them.
He likened the BBC’s popular show to unpleasant-smelling cheese, stating that he can’t endure more than a few minutes before losing interest and switching off. The 58-year-old Uncensored presenter missed witnessing Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola clinching the Glitterball trophy, triumphing over Layton Williams and Nikita Kumzin, as well as Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell.
Although the viewership numbers surpassed last year’s final, which reached a peak audience of 9.7 million, Piers remained unimpressed. His critique of the beloved contest didn’t sit well with many of his 8.7 million followers, sparking a backlash from dedicated Strictly fans as the TalkTV host took aim at the flagship programme.
The tweet read: “Apologies, but I find Strictly Come Dancing unbearable. Every attempt lasts merely 3 minutes before I surrender. It feels akin to consuming exceptionally pungent Gorgonzola cheese.” However, some speculated that there might be an ulterior motive behind this comment. Piers was quipped with: “Is this your discreet way of hinting that you’ve already committed to 2024?!”
Critics lambasted the former GMB host, with one stating: “That’s just your viewpoint. For many of us, it’s the highlight of the week, if not the entire year. Its charm never fades, remaining magical every year, in my opinion.” Even football broadcaster Jeff Stelling joined the discussion, remarking: “How can you not appreciate Annabel Croft, Piers? She’s a wonderfully elegant individual who has overcome so much??”
The latest overnight ratings reveal that while the overall viewership for the BBC remained stable, the average audience for Strictly Come Dancing dropped from last year’s 9.2 million to 8.7 million. Despite this decline, television executives can take solace in the fact that Strictly commanded a significant portion of the audience share during its time slot, with an impressive 53.8% of viewers choosing the dance show over other television programmes. This underscores Strictly’s enduring popularity, even after nearly two decades on the air.
In a thrilling finale, Ellie and her professional partner, Vito, celebrated their victory as this year’s champions, crowned by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Despite a momentary mistake earlier in the competition that left Ellie anxious about her chances, her triumph made her the youngest winner in the series’ history.
Overwhelmed by her win, a speechless Ellie exclaimed, “I genuinely cannot believe this,” while Vito, overcome with emotion, tearfully added, “Don’t talk to me.” In a lighthearted moment, Ellie remarked, “This is the first time I have seen him cry. For once, you’re crying more than me, so this is for you – this is for you.”
