Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas dreads delivering deciding vote

Shirley Ballas dreads having the deciding vote on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

As the show's head judge the 64-year-old star has the responsibility of giving the final vote following the dreaded dance-off, after her fellow judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke have made their choices, but Shirley prays that it "doesn't come down to me".

The Queen of Latin told Radio Times magazine: "I’m sitting there every weekend, thinking, 'Dear Lord, my saviour, please let the other three make the decision so it doesn’t come down to me.'

"But somebody has to do this job, and I try to send them home with as much confidence and affection as I can.

"My heart does have a little cry when I see them go because I’ve got to know them, and see them improving."

Shirley was previously hit with backlash after viewers disagreed with her saving opera singer Wynne Evans instead of former 'Coronation Street' star Shayne Ward earlier in the series.

Talking of how she critiques the celebrities, she said: "I have several hats. I have a technician hat, an empathy hat and a snuggle-bunny cuddle hat if I feel they need it.

"I can read the room, put it that way.

" I might think I’m going to say one thing, then I see that they have struggled or made mistakes.

"You want to give encouragement for the parts they did well, but recognise the mistakes, too.

"I don’t have anybody telling me what I can and cannot say. We have no earpieces.

"Nobody’s told what to say."

The dancing legend joined the hit BBC show in 2017, when she replaced the late Len Goodman as head judge, and she has no intention on calling it quits on her role anytime soon.

She quipped: "I want to do 'Strictly' until I pop my clogs.

"I shall come in on my walking frame because I’m married to dance!"