Dancing With The Stars fans and contestants are no strangers to drama, and the latest buzz is all thanks to Whitney Leavitt and her pro partner, Mark Ballas. The power pair â who’ve been slaying the competition since day one â recently got a harsh reality check after attempting to host a sweet giveaway for their loyal supporters. So, whatâs the deal with the DWTS giveaway drama?
The 32-year-old reality star, known for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and her 39-year-old partner, Ballas, took to TikTok on Friday, Oct. 24, to share some “bad news” with their followers. They’d been planning to gift two lucky fans tickets to a live DWTS show, but those plans were quickly squashed.
Leavitt explained that after a rehearsal, they were both informed that they “actually canât do a giveaway for the Dancing with the Stars live show.” Ballas quickly jumped in to clarify that the decision came “directly from ABC and BBC and is completely out of our hands.”
It’s a bummer, especially since Leavitt noted that they just wanted “to do something really special for you guys that have shown us so much support and love.” Both promised to “get creative” and think of an alternative prize for their dedicated fans.
While the pair’s intentions seemed pure, not everyone was on their side. The comment section of their announcement video quickly became a battleground, with many users arguing that a ticket giveaway would essentially be “rigging the whole thing.”
One user pointedly wrote on Leavitt and Ballas’s TikTok, “No kidding⊠âvote for us and Iâll give you a giftâ thatâs rigging the whole thing.” Another agreed, saying, “It would be like bribing the audience. Of course they arenât allowed to do that. Itâs a competition.” Since DWTS is a competition where fan votes matter, the networks likely saw the giveaway as an unfair incentive for votes, despite the pair’s good intentions.
However, Leavitt and Ballas have faced an unusual amount of online heat this season, largely due to the reality star’s previously known dance background. This led some fans to jump to their defense, suggesting the backlash was unfairly harsh.
“If it was anyone else, these comments would not be half as hateful,” one defender wrote. “I have NEVER seen âfansâ be this cruel to contestants and PROS… Thank you for trying to do something nice for the people sending love your way!”
Despite the controversy, the couple has been on a serious hot streak. Theyâve consistently been at the top of the leaderboard since the season started in September, including scoring the first 10s of the season during last week’s “Wicked Night.” Leavitt recently described that moment, where she received a near-perfect score, as a “big reward.” For his part, choreographer Ballas said he was “very proud” of the hustle and detail they put into the dance.
For now, the pair is focused on the dance floor. They’re set to perform a jazz routine to Green Dayâs âBrain Stewâ for Halloween Night on Tuesday, Oct. 28, in addition to competing in a special âMonster Night Monster-thonâ dance relay.
It looks like Leavitt and Ballas will have to keep the focus on their phenomenal dancing rather than on fan incentives. They’ve certainly proven they don’t need a giveaway to keep fans engaged!