‘DWTS’ judges slammed for playing favorites with two couples in particular on 'Hair Metal Night'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 33's 'Hair Metal Night' episode, the scoring by the judges raised fans' suspicions who felt a certain bias displayed in the scoring. The night included some anthemic classic rock, and even featured guest judge Gene Simmons of KISS who made headlines for all the wrong reasons, along with complicated routines to timeless rock hits.
One of the major complaints was that some contestants scored way higher than others when they clearly made blatant mistakes. For instance, Jenn Tran's performance was full of energy and rock attitude, but it had many technical flaws that should have been reflected in her score. Yet the judges seemed to go easy on her, and many felt like her popularity might have come into play with the judges' scores. Meanwhile, Brooks Nader and her partner Gleb Savchenko got high-energy praise and higher scores, including Gene Simmons even trying to give them the season's first perfect score, which brings up even more questions about impartiality. More importantly, the judges appeared to be more interested in some contestants' charisma and stage presence over others, which worked to disadvantage those contestants who were indeed more technically sound. This inconsistency in judging criteria sparked suspicion that the panel may favor contestants based on personality and appeal to fans rather than based on dance merit alone. This could surely affect viewer trust in the show's outcome as the season progresses.
Who got the highest score on 'DWTS' Hair Metal Night?
During the Hair Metal Night episode of 'Dancing with the Stars' on October 8, 2024, model Brooks Nader was top for the night. Guest judge Gene Simmons gave her a 10 for her performance -- the first time the season had seen the perfect score. It was then clarified that Simmons had actually keyed in a 9.
Nader delivered an energetic performance, and Simmons complimented her personality and vibe, adding it was great even if not the most technically spot-on.
Who received the lowest score on 'DWTS' Hair Metal Night?
Rugby star Ilona Maher received the worst score on Hair Metal Night. Ilona struggled through the choreography, noticeably making several mistakes in jiving to 'Cum On Feel the Noize'.
The judges were supportive, but her footwork and rhythm issues did diminish from her performance. With her passion and energy, she still managed to get a score of 26 out of 40, which was the lowest of the night. During this emotive performance, Ilona was in tears, but the judges encouraged her to come back strong next week.
