Whereas the Dancing With the Stars scoring system leaves little room to mess up, some errors nonetheless have occurred through the years.
In 2016, Nyle DiMarco and professional Sharna Burgess had been awarded a 37 out of 40 though judges Bruno Tonioli and Maksim Chmerkovskiy held up 10 paddles. (DiMarco was paired with professional Peta Murgatroyd that season however swapped companions for “Change Up” evening.) As former host Tom Bergeron defined, the 2 judges had written down 9s instantly after the dance — which is the rating that counts.
“Truthfully, I feel what most likely occurred is that’s what they actually needed to provide me however I’m unsure easy methods to describe it,” DiMarco, who went on to win season 22, advised Leisure Weekly following the episode. “Subconsciously they needed to provide me these 10s. Who is aware of? It’s nonetheless higher for me subsequent week.”
Practically a decade later, within the season 34 premiere, Whitney Leavitt and her companion, Mark Ballas, obtained two 7s from judges Derek Hough and Tonioli, indicating that the pair earned a 14 out of 20. Nevertheless, cohost Julianne Hough later revealed from the skybox that there was a mistake.
The Dancing With the Stars season 34 premiere threw Us just a few curveballs as the most recent group of celebs and professionals formally hit the ballroom flooring. The primary shakeup got here hours earlier than the Tuesday, September 16, broadcast started, with choose Carrie Ann Inaba revealing by way of social media that she wouldn’t be a part of the primary […]
“Bruno truly put in an eight, so now we have to appropriate it. It’s a 15,” she advised the pair. “We love reside tv!”
Maintain scrolling to see extra instances DWTS has made some scoring errors:
Tia Carrere and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Practically three years after Carrere and Chmerkovskiy appeared on season 2 of DWTS in 2006 ending in sixth place, choose Carrie Ann Inaba admitted she “held up the fallacious paddle earlier than” when scoring the pair.
“I’ve held up the fallacious paddle as soon as earlier than, for Tia Carrere when she danced with Maks,” she stated in a weblog shared with EW in March 2009. “I needed to maintain up an ‘I’m sorry’ paddle the following evening. It was so embarrassing, however we laughed about it.”
Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
When season 8 of DWTS aired in 2009, former cohost Samantha Harris stated that she was handed a paper with the judges’ scores beforehand and admitted that Inaba held up the fallacious paddle, per Fox Information. Based on viewers, the onscreen show additionally reversed Inaba and Tonioli’s scores. (Richards ended up being the second superstar eradicated that evening.)
Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
When Andrews appeared as a contestant on season 10 in 2010 with Chmerkovskiy as her companion, Tonioli unintentionally held up a paddle with 10 on it though his rating for the pair was a 9.
“It’s the semifinals!” Tonioli exclaimed, in response to EW. Andrews ended up ending the present in third place.
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough
Earlier than Pickler and Hough ended up taking house the mirrorball for season 16 of DWTS in 2013, Tonioli unintentionally confirmed the fallacious paddle.
“I picked up the fallacious paddle!” Tonioli stated, in response to a Los Angeles Occasions recap.
Nyle DiMarco and Sharna Burgess
DiMarco and “Change Up” companion Burgess had been awarded a 37 out of 40 though the judges held up 10 paddles. They later defined that two judges wrote down 9’s, in order that ended up being the rating that counts. DiMarco and Murgatroyd in the end went on to win season 22 in 2016.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
Within the season 34 premiere in 2025, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and Ballas obtained two 7s from Derek and Tonioli, nevertheless, Julianne famous that there had been a mistake.
“Bruno truly put in an eight, so now we have to appropriate it. It’s a 15,” she advised the pair. “We love reside tv!”
