Dancing with the Stars showcases celebrities pairing up with professional dancers to compete against other pairs. Each week, a pair gets eliminated, until a champion is named from four finalists.
You would think that the winner of DWTS would be the best dancer out of everyone who competed that season, but that is not always the case. Because fans can vote for whoever they want to win, this can mean someone that is not the best dancer, but is a fan favorite, can win the competition.
Season 27, in particular, was a controversial season. Bobby Bones, a country radio host, ended up winning the Mirrorball with his partner, Sharna Burgess. He did not win because of his dancing skills, but because he was a fan favorite and won because of fan votes. The other finalists, Milo Manheim (partnered with Witney Carson), Alexis Ren (partnered with Alan Bersten), and Evanna Lynch (partnered with Keo Motsepe), all were better dancers than Bobby Bones, but they did not have the same fan support that he had. Even Bones himself admitted that “I’m not here because of my scores, I’m here because of my people.”
Because scores are so heavily influenced by fan votes, that is why I don’t watch DWTS anymore. I want to see the best dancers in the final as well as have the best dancer win the Mirrorball. Sadly, this rule will probably not change anytime soon, so be prepared for more eyebrow raising winners in future seasons of Dancing with the Stars.
Reference
Yahr, Emily. “Biggest Upset in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ History? Bobby Bones Wins in Shocking Finale.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 20 Nov. 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/20/biggest-upset-dancing-with-stars-history-bobby-bones-wins-shocking-finale/.