A ‘DWTS’ champ admits he was a terrible dancer, reveals how he ‘cheated’ to win the show: ‘I would record...’
Bobby Bones continues to make headlines for his controversial 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 27 win. Bones had garnered negative attention for his unexpected 'DWTS' victory, which also led to a rule change that restricts voting to live episodes only. Recently, the star made some new revelations about his controversial win, where he not only admitted to 'cheating' but also revealed how the backlash made him anxious.
Bones recently explained on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast, "I cheated in the way that they give you a limited amount of time with your partner. Like, four hours a day." He added, "So we would do our four, I would record the session, and then I would go by myself and rent a studio myself and train myself. Like, illegally spent time over … because I was so far behind everybody else," as per Page Six. Bones, who had "never danced" before 'DWTS' and called himself a "fish out of water," admitted he was "just as surprised as anybody" at his 2018 victory with pro partner Sharna Burgess.
Despite receiving lower scores than finalists Milo Manheim, Evanna Lynch, and Alexis Ren, he won the mirrorball trophy thanks to overwhelming viewer votes. Talking about his journey, he said, "I wasn't in any way polarizing on the show, other than I sucked. I didn't run out and [say], like, 'I'm the best.' I tried as hard as I could and I got sevens and a couple sixes. A couple of eights." Looking back, Bones acknowledged that his win was controversial among "a small section of hardcore fans," who he realized would never have supported him anyway.
He explained, "The fact that I was winning made it difficult on people who had always watched the show. … I was anxious as crap every week, nervous. Because again, I'm a fish out of water doing that." In August 2024, Bones also faced criticism from Julianne Hough. On 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,' she revealed she "strongly disagreed" with a viewer question. When fellow guest Mickey Guyton said "Bobby Bones," Hough paused and responded, "I actually agree with you and I think it's because of the fan base. It’s all about fan base on that show. He was not the best dancer."
Responding on Instagram, Bones praised Hough for being "diplomatic" and expressed his affection for her, saying he'd "met a couple times" before. He acknowledged, "I was the worst dancer. I take pride in that. Now, I tried as hard as anybody in the history of the show, but I can't dance now, and I couldn't dance then," as per People. He added, "But you know who took down the big evil empire of dance? Well, it's not evil or an empire, but me and you! We did it together."
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Bones then expressed his pride in winning 'DWTS,' saying, "I'm the greatest champion ever. I didn't say I was the greatest dancer, but the greatest champion ever. I'm the man of the people. I'm the man that you guys selected," and added, "But Mickey Guyton, what? Julianne Hough, you're cool." He also admitted, "I'm a terrible dancer. I was a terrible dancer but they changed the rules after I left because the fan vote was so good." Bones won the mirrorball trophy with pro Sharna Burgess, despite low judges' scores, while Manheim placed second, Lynch third, and Ren fourth.