Shirley Ballas ‘read riot act’ after breaking Strictly boss’s rules

Shirley Ballas is facing the consequences after participating in a Strictly-themed cruise (Picture: BBC/Daily Mail) Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has reportedly found herself in the doghouse with BBC bosses after ‘breaking’ the show’s rules. Shirley, 65, has served on the judges’ panel since 2017, making her one of the longest-serving behind Craig Revel Horwood . The dancer and television personality may be Strictly royalty, but she’s said to have learned the hard way that the rules still apply. She’s believed to have earned BBC bosses’ ire after participating in a luxury cruise programme which riffed on the popular dance competition. According to Daily Mail , Shirley was paid £10,000 to join a Strictly-themed adventure with MSC Cruises, where she held up a distinctive scoring paddle and critiqued contestants’ footwork. Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. This, an insider says, has led to bosses reading Shirley ‘the riot act’ over her extra-curricular work. Shirley joined the MSC Cruise earlier this year (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock) Shirley appears on Strictly with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke (Picture: BBC) An insider claimed that the BBC are ‘absolutely furious’ at the judge for her participation in the unauthorised cruise. They continued: ‘Shirley should not have done what she did – it has enraged the bosses. She was hauled before the chiefs and asked to explain what happened.’ Describing Strictly as the broadcaster’s ‘crown jewel’ the insider said that they would ‘do whatever is available to them to protect it.’ The Mail also said that the BBC had been in touch with MSC Cruises about their theming of the trip. Travelling from Southampton to Norway, the ‘Strictly-style holiday’ featured a dance masterclass, Q&A with Shirley, and a meet-and-greet. ‘It is baffling how a multi-million pound company with its own legal team did not think of the repercussions for using the Strictly branding without prior permission from the BBC,’ added the tabloid’s source. It is believed that Shirley has been reprimanded by bosses (Picture: PA) A spokesperson for the BBC told Metro: ‘Certain use of programme IP without permission risks confusing audiences – and may give the impression that the BBC has endorsed activity when it hasn’t. ‘Where we identify such use, appropriate steps are taken to prevent it happening again. ‘Any profit generated from the approved commercial use of our IP is reinvested into the BBC, supporting high-quality content for licence fee payers.’ Regarding Shirley’s participation in the cruise, the