Judging Strictly: Technical Accuracy vs Performance

Strictly judging blends two criteria that don’t always align: technique and performance.

Judges like Craig Revel Horwood tend to emphasise technical precision, while Shirley Ballas often balances technique with musicality and expression.

The result is inconsistency—but also accessibility. If judging were purely technical, many routines would score poorly. By incorporating performance value, the show rewards effort, storytelling, and audience connection.

From a professional standpoint, it’s not a pure scoring system. But from a television standpoint, it creates narrative—and narrative keeps audiences engaged.