Why These Celebs Are Calling Out The Judges Of Dancing With The Stars

Dancing with the Stars has maintained its popularity over the years and always manages to find interesting celebrities to appear on the show (ahem, Carole Baskin). Since its 2005 inception, DWTS has highlighted everything from impressive dance routines to cringe-worthy choreography. And, of course, viewers continue to tune in to see which dancing duo will take home the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

Despite its popularity, or perhaps because of it, DWTS and its judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli — have faced criticism from time to time. The judges' critiques have often raised eyebrows, and sometimes the contestants who make it through to the finals seem undeserving to fans. During Season 11 of the show, for example, Bristol Palin consistently earned low scores with her partner, Mark Ballas, yet she ended up in third place, per Insider. Many fans have noticed that sometimes it seems like contestants make it further on the show not because of their skills, but because they bring in more viewers. 

Now, it seems that former contestants Lance Bass and Vivica A. Fox may agree with this sentiment. The two sat down on Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump and shared some shocking claims about their run on the hit show.

While Dancing with the Stars has certainly come under fire for its questionable casting choices and eliminations, Lance Bass and Vivica A. Fox opened up about their personal experiences on the show in March 2021. Fox appeared on Season 3 of the show, whereas Bass competed in Season 7 — and both stars think their run may have been cut prematurely. 

On Lisa Vanderpump's show, Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump, Fox and Bass spilled some details about their respective departures from DWTS (via Popculture). "I made it to week four, and I was a sore loser," Fox explained. When Vanderpump asked who her partner was, Fox told her that it was Nick Kosovich, and also implied that he was "one of the many reasons why [they] got kicked off." "You got to play the game," Fox explained, adding that Kosovich "made too many requests," which apparently did not bode well for their status on the show.

Bass agreed with Fox's sentiments and said that he was "in the same boat." He described his partner, Lacey Schwimmer, as the "bad girl of the ballroom," and said that "the judges just hated her." Though Bass and Schwimmer made it to the finale, he admitted that during a social gathering with the judges, one of them had "a little too much to drink" and flat-out told Bass that the judges "can't stand [Schwimmer]."