'DWTS' judges called out for favoring certain performers in controversial season: 'She is so biased...'
'Dancing with the Stars' has been one of the most successful reality TV shows, which proves why it had such a long run. Despite being loved for decades, the show is not immune to criticism. 'DWTS' has fans accusing the judges of favouring contestants, especially during its last season, 33. At the forefront of the backlash is the judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who was accused of giving special importance to men over women, per Collider. During the Halloween Night performances, Inaba gave Daniella Karagach a 10 but Chandler Kinney a 9, despite judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli calling it "perfection." The outlet reported that Inaba justified her scoring, saying that the Viennese Waltz performed by the latter contestant was a more difficult one.
Social media platforms buzzed with criticism; one fan tweeted, "She is so biased against Chandler and Ilona and refuses to score them fairly. She doesn’t even have a reason for the lower scores either. Someone should remind her she’s on 'DWTS,' not rating the dudes 1-10 like she’s on pop the balloon." Another said, "If they’re gonna score on the difficulty of the dance, then they should all be doing the same dance every week. It's not fair that two of them had more difficult dances and were penalized for that." Another viewer wrote, "Chandler's 9 was so insulting, and Brandon's face said it all. CAI hasn't consistently bugged me as much as she has this season."
She is so biased against Chandler and Ilona and refuses to score them fairly. She don’t even be having a reason for the lower scores either.. someone should remind her she’s on DWTS not rating the dudes 1-10 like she’s on pop the balloon 🎈🪡
— Yesenia Moore 🇵🇷 (@buttericanpecan) October 30, 2024
Even regarding the winners of season 33, Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, an insider told The Express, "The whole crew felt very moved by Chandler and Brandon making history, and the pros were mostly all in agreement that they were the most talented and deserved that trophy." He further added, "It's hard because certain pros appear to get favored on the show, and the Chmerkovskiys are one of the show's sweethearts."
If they’re gonna score on the difficulty of the dance, then they should all be doing the same dance every week not fair two of them had more difficult dance and were penalized for that.
— AnnMarie Dalisera (@annmdali) October 30, 2024
This isn't the first time the show has been criticized for judges playing favorites. During season 31, Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas performed an emotional contemporary routine, earning them a whopping score of 39 out of 40, along with a stream of praise from Inaba. However, after their next performance, Inaba criticized D'Amelio, urging her to show "more growth and vulnerability," per Good Housekeeping. This sudden change in the script had fans calling out Inaba for showing double standards and partiality towards the 'DWTS' contestants.
The two-time winner of 'DTWS,' Cheryl Burke, has offered some advice on the 'Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans' podcast. According to US Weekly, when a fan asked whether the judges should score contestants on their “true ballroom dancing” standards as in the past, Burke replied, “Yes, [they should]. However, you have to know what you’re talking about, right? So, they have to be able to back up whatever they say." She explained, “If you’re just saying things because you know it’s the right terminology, and you can’t explain yourself as to why it should be a certain way, then it’s kind of hard. Unless they get judges who have more ballroom experience than some of the current ones who were seated there as of last season. You can’t be more strict in a genre that you’re not an expert in, is my point."
