Former show pro James waded into the row after BBC viewers noticed signs of tensionJAMES Jordan has broken his silence on Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse’s ‘brewing feud’ after fans claimed the Strictly judges were ‘at war’.
Former show pro James, 46, staunchly defended Anton, 58, claiming he finds the rumours hard to believe, particularly given their long-standing friendship.
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James Jordan has broken his silence on Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse’s ‘brewing feud’Credit: Rex
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He staunchly defended Anton, claiming he finds the rumours hard to believeCredit: Rex
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Fans claimed the Strictly judges were ‘at war’ last weekCredit: BBC
Speaking to Buzz Bingo on behalf of The Sun, James exclusively revealed: “I’ve known Anton for about 30 years and I honestly can’t imagine anyone falling out with him. I just don’t see it.
“I don’t obviously watch it that intently, that I’m watching for eye movements and things, but I honestly can’t imagine that there’s any truth in that.
“I just think people try to start rumours, it’s just speculation. I don’t believe it. He’s such a lovely guy. I can’t see it.”
During last week’s installment, BBC viewers noticed what they believe are signs of tension among the panel.
Viewers took to an online forum to discuss a recent episode, claiming Motsi seemed unenthusiastic during a discussion about the Sambathon.
The dance-a-thon in question is a group competition that’s been known to cause problems on the show in the past.
One fan remarked: “Motsi didn’t exactly look thrilled when they were discussing the Sambathon.
“Perhaps she’s feeling nervous as she’s never judged one on Strictly, and they were just discussing the chaos last time.”
Others suggested that Motsi’s mood seemed off throughout the episode.
One wrote: “I thought Motsi looked a little out-of-sorts and subdued this week in general to be honest.”
Another added: “I actually thought the same about Motsi last week. She seemed generally hacked off during the judge’s chat in the results then, too.”
There was also a specific moment that lead viewers to wonder if Motsi has an issue with fellow judge Anton.
Someone commented: “There was one particular moment when Anton was rambling on — Motsi’s face painted a thousand words — her expression was saying, ‘Shut up.'”
Strictly 2024 pairings
Here’s who is matched with who this series…
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
