MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

'DWTS' surprised everyone with a new judge — and fans are now begging him to stay for good

'DWTS' viewers are hoping this 3-time trophy winner becomes a permanent judge on the panel after his incredible guest appearance

'Dancing with the Stars' added a little extra sparkle on the judges' table with a surprise addition of Mark Ballas, who appeared as a guest judge during the 'Dedication Night' episode in Season 33. For the unversed, Ballas debuted on the popular ballroom show in season 5, where he finished at 7th place with partner Sabrina Bryan, but soon cemented his legacy by winning the trophy mirrorball trophy thrice, once in season 6, followed by season 8, and then in season 31, finally retiring from the show in March 2023, per GoodHouseKeeping.

It was no wonder that when Ballas appeared as a guest judge, fans were thrilled to see him in the new role. Balls, also elated, shared his feelings on being back on the show on Instagram. He posted, "It was an honor to be at the judge's table last night. After 20 seasons as a competitor, I feel like I've done it all, but somehow this little ballroom dancing show we all love still had a new experience up its sleeve for me. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the dancing & I truly hope I gave the couples some tips to take with them as they move into the next phase of the competition."

As soon as the post was up, fans flooded in with comments. One said, "Loved seeing you as a judge on Dancing With the Stars! Hope they add you to the table!!!" While another added, "Let’s manifest Mark as a permanent judge for 'DWTS' 2025 girlies." Gushing over the guest judge, a fan commented, "You were amazing, Mark. What a pleasure to have you on the panel and to see you so completely in your element." It was not only Instagram but X also buzzed with the same reaction. One fan tweeted, "Make Mark Ballas a permanent DWTS judge. Enough. He passed the audition. He passed the chemistry test," Another added, "I agree 100%, it would be a welcome sight with Carrie Ann Derek and Bruno."

Even Derek Hough agreed, in an interview with UsWeekly, he said, "I'm here for it. "He added, “I think Mark has a lot to offer. He has a lot of wisdom and insight, and experience." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba also didn't hold back from praising Ballas for his appearance. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a guest judge that delivered such a perfect performance. Bravo! Welcome to the other side," she wrote, per Entertainment Now. She added, "Mark Ballas was a phenomenal guest judge, I hope he comes back again and again! I loved his demonstration of technique, and I scribbled him a little note during the show that read, Len would be very proud of you."

Ballas dedicated his performance to Len Goodman, the OG judge who died on April 24, 2023. According to Fox News Digital, Ballas revealed that Goodman once also trained his parents, "He used to train with my parents, so I’ve known Len pretty much since I was born.” He added, “There’s a picture there of him holding me as an infant. So I’ve known him my whole life. … When I came to do my first season [on DWTS], he was on the judging panel. I’ve just got a soft spot in my heart for him.”