You may have heard about comedian Andy Richter or internet personality Alix Earle starring in this year’s season of “Dancing With The Stars.” However, season 34’s controversy revolves around more than just its popular cast.
The premise of the show is simple: celebrities are paired with professional dancers and compete weekly in various ballroom styles. Throughout the stars’ journey of learning to dance, viewers vote for their favorite couples each week, and the contestants are eliminated one by one. Ultimately, one pair is chosen to win the Mirrorball Trophy.
Whitney Leavitt, known for her role on the reality TV show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” is the face of debate over her potential advantage from being a dance major in college. While some argue that contemporary and ballroom are completely different styles, other contestants have little to no dance experience, such as her reality TV co-star, Jen Affleck. Being trained in any form of dance supports quick memorization of choreography, sharper lines, and stronger stage presence. It was also revealed that as a teenager, Leavitt competed at her dance studio in Utah against “Dancing With The Stars” pro Witney Carson. B-CC senior Charlize Lenchak expressed, “Normally, I think a little bit of dance experience isn’t bad, but having experience with the other pros is too far.” Nonetheless, Robert Irwin is another prominent cast member and fan-favorite who had no previous dance experience, yet his technique improves rapidly each week.
Viewers have also commented on the judges showing favoritism to Whitney and pro Mark Ballas. In the recent “Halloween Night” episode, the pair danced a Jazz routine to “Brain Stew” by Green Day and received a 37/40, which included a perfect “10” from judge Bruno Tonioli. However, they received feedback on flawed synchronization throughout the dance, and fans argue that the “10” was not deserved.
The favoritism is not only directed at Whitney but also at her partner, Mark Ballas. He won the Mirrorball three times, most recently with beloved TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio in season 31. He has competed in a total of 20 seasons of “Dancing With The Stars,” with this being his 21st. Online speculation over whether Ballas is overqualified and at an advantage over newer pros, such as Ezra Sosa and Jan Ravnik, sparked his responses to Entertainment Tonight: “We all have the same opportunities. . . . Honestly, I’m doing my best. I’m having a great time.”
In contrast to the overqualified competitors, Andy Richter has unintentionally gained significant social media coverage over his lack of dance ability. From fan TikToks to posts from NFL football teams, many social media users have weighed in on whether he deserves the votes he’s been receiving to stay on the show. Coming up on week eight, “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night,” many fans are shocked that he has made it this far. Even Richter himself has been anticipating his elimination every week, sharing, “I know that I’m on the chopping block–I live there! So when somebody gets voted out, I feel bad.” His voters, known on social media as “Andy’s Army,” won’t let him leave the show any time soon. However, his technical ability is far below his opponents. Lenchak adds, “Andy is just not on the same level as everyone else. The judges gave him sevens because they thought it would be his last dance, but then it backfired, and he stayed, so now they have to keep giving him sevens when he really deserves fives at best.” This skewed scoring method has also unfairly affected contestants whose choreography is on a much more difficult level than Richter’s but receives similar scores.
While season 34’s controversies have sparked plenty of online debate, they’ve also reignited public interest, and fans are eager to see how the rest of the season plays out.
