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 have been awarded a 37 out of 40 despite the fact that 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” night time.) As former host Tom Bergeron defined, the 2 judges had written down 9s instantly after the dance — which is the rating that counts.
“Actually, I feel what in all probability occurred is that's what they actually needed to present me however I'm undecided the right way to describe it,” DiMarco, who went on to win season 22, advised Entertainment Weekly following the episode. “Subconsciously they needed to present me these 10s. Who is aware of? It's nonetheless higher for me subsequent week.”
Almost a decade later, within the season 34 premiere, Whitney Leavitt and her accomplice, Mark Ballas, received 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.
“Bruno really put in an eight, so we've to right it. It's a 15,” she advised the pair. “We love dwell tv!”
Maintain scrolling to see extra instances DWTS has made some scoring errors:
Tia Carrere and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Almost three years after Carrere and Chmerkovskiy appeared on season 2 of DWTS in 2006 ending in sixth place, decide Carrie Ann Inaba admitted she “held up the unsuitable paddle earlier than” when scoring the pair.
“I've held up the unsuitable 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 night time. 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 unsuitable paddle, per Fox News. Based on viewers, the onscreen show additionally reversed Inaba and Tonioli's scores. (Richards ended up being the second celeb eradicated that night time.)
Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
When Andrews appeared as a contestant on season 10 in 2010 with Chmerkovskiy as her accomplice, Tonioli by chance held up a paddle with 10 on it despite the fact that his rating for the pair was a 9.
“It's the semifinals!” Tonioli exclaimed, in line with EW. Andrews ended up ending the present in third place.
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough
Earlier than Pickler and Hough ended up taking dwelling the mirrorball for season 16 of DWTS in 2013, Tonioli by chance confirmed the unsuitable paddle.
“I picked up the unsuitable paddle!” Tonioli stated, in line with a Los Angeles Times recap.
Nyle DiMarco and Sharna Burgess
DiMarco and “Change Up” accomplice Burgess have been awarded a 37 out of 40 despite the fact that 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 received two 7s from Derek and Tonioli, nevertheless, Julianne famous that there had been a mistake.
“Bruno really put in an eight, so we've to right it. It's a 15,” she advised the pair. “We love dwell tv!”
