Shayne Ward expresses frustration after fans show ‘indifference’ and ‘mock’ his performance with partner Nancy Xu, challenging: “Someone better prove they can outperform me!”

HE was brimming with confidence and had the moves to match, but certain Strictly viewers were left unconvinced by Shayne Ward’s performance.

The former X Factor winner danced the notoriously tricky samba with his dance partner Nancy Xu, grooving around the dance floor to the Stevie Wonder hit, Do I Do.

Shayne’s 70s get up left some fans cringing when he took to the dancefloor

Shayne gave a confident performance and showed a certain prowess on the dancefloor
But it seems the steamy routine and seventies styling left some fans a little cold.

One person found him to be a bit too confident.

“The overconfidence is actually something I’m not enjoying about Shayne right now. No question, he’s good but he’s NOT the master of all things dance.”

Another critic said: “Shayne Ward did well for week 1, but there just something so cringe about the guy.”

Another said: “Find someone who loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself.”

And another person simply said: “Hes insufferable.”

But regardless of the criticism, few could deny that the 39-year-old had some serious flair on the dancefloor with his snake-hipped enthusiasm.

One Shayne fan said: “Week one, smashed it”

Another agreed by saying: “For week one he totally smashed it, he will let negative comments go over his head and he will prove them wrong as the weeks go on.”

Indeed Shayne’s wife, the actress Sophie Austin was seen proudly clapping in the audience alongside her dad, Shayne’s father in law, Austin James.

The Manchester-born star won the second series of X Factor in 2005, competing against Andy Abraham, who finished in second place, and Journey South, who took third.

He then won a recording contract with Simon Cowell’s Syco label and went on to release several successful singles.

Shayne’s biggest hits include That’s My Goal, which was his debut single and reached number one in the UK.

Another popular track is No Promises, which reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.

His song Breathless from his second album was also a big hit and peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

Ever the showman, Shayne won a National Television Award in 2006 for Most Popular Talent Show for his win on X Factor.

As well as his music career, Shayne later took on the role of Staycee Jaxx in the ’80s musical Rock of Ages on the West End, and stayed with the show from 2011 to 2012.

After achieving significant success in music, Shayne broadened his career by venturing into acting.

The X Factor winner joined the cast of Corrie, as bad boy Aidan Connor in August 2015 – the half-brother of Carla (later revealed in a dramatic storyline), who owned the factory, Underworld, at the time.

His character quickly became known as a ladies’ man, something which came back to haunt him in a complicated love triangle between Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley).

In a typically dramatic conclusion to the storyline, Aidan felt the wrath of Eva as she went “full bunny boiler” on the discovery of his affair with a devious plot to sabotage their wedding day.

He bagged two gongs for Best Newcomer in 2016 – one at the National Television Awards and the other at Inside Soap awards.

But in 2018 his on-screen persona committed suicide on Coronation Street.

Shayne has been in a relationship wit Hollyoaks actress Sophie Austin since 2016. The couple got engaged in 2017 but postponed their wedding day during the coronavirus pandemic.

Together they have two children, Willow born in 2017 and son Reign, in June 2022.