Carrie Ann Inaba called out for giving low scores to female performers on ‘DWTS’: 'The scariest...'
Set against the unique backdrop of pairing celebrities with dance pros, 'Dancing With the Stars' has been a fan favorite since its debut in 2005. Despite its long and successful run, the dance reality show often finds itself under scrutiny, which at times is directed towards judges. Carrie Ann Inaba has to be controversy's favorite child, as her strict but insightful critiques often land her in the hot waters of scrutiny. In one such instance, Inaba faced massive backlash for scoring female dancers lower than expected.
During 'Dancing With the Stars,' Season 33, Inaba grabbed headlines during a themed night where contestants danced through personal fears. Chandler Kinney impressed viewers as she delivered a standout Viennese waltz inspired by her nightmares. Set to the 'Pretty Little Liars' theme, her routine left judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli impressed, with both awarding perfect 10s, making Kinney and partner Brandon Armstrong’s first 10s of the season
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But Inaba gave Kinney a 9, saying, "That wasn't perfection." Despite acknowledging the routine’s difficulty, Inaba held back from a perfect score. She similarly gave a lower-than-expected 8 to Olympian Ilona Maher's intense tango, even though both performances were praised for their complexity. What particularly upset fans was that Inaba later gave perfect 10s to dances with simpler choreography, leading to widespread criticism and renewed calls for a shakeup on the judging panel.
The disappointed fans flocked to X and shared their disdain for Inaba's low scoring. A viewer said, "CARRIE ANN RUINING THE FIRST PERFECT SCORE OF THE SEASON FOR WHAT," while another shared, "Idk if I can get over Carrie Ann basically telling Chandler that if she wants higher scores, she needs to be doing easier dances?" A netizen said, "The scariest part of tonight’s episode is watching Carrie Ann continue to tear down the female contestants with bullshit critiques while praising the men for doing the bare minimum."
CARRIE ANN RUINING THE FIRST PERFECT SCORE OF THE SEASON FOR WHAT #DWTS pic.twitter.com/e5cblYWEt4
— alex ⚾️🫶🏼 (@swiftnsox) October 30, 2024
Kinney also shared her perspective as she admitted, "The judges do push me really, really hard because they have high expectations. I understand, and I take the criticism. But tonight, it was probably showing a bit. I was getting a little frustrated because I wanted to know what to do. Otherwise, when I get to rehearsal, I'm a little lost." Despite her confusion, the star remains determined, saying, "We're going to find it. We're going to keep working hard. I just use it as fuel and motivation to go for that perfect score because I want it."
Kinney was especially moved by the rare 10 she received from Hough, adding, "That was amazing. Derek is such a technical judge, and you rarely see those 10s from him. That meant the world and gave me the wind beneath my wings," as per Entertainment Weekly. The season ended with Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson taking home the Mirrorball trophy, whereas Kinney and partner Armstrong secured third place.