The winner of Dancing With the Stars is chosen primarily based on votes from the judges and votes from viewers, which has led to some fairly controversial rulings over time. There have been a number of seasons the place the outcomes led to an outcry on social media from followers who felt the fallacious winner was chosen.
Maybe probably the most controversial of all seasons was when Bobby Bones was declared the winner over Milo Manheim in Season 27. The judges applauded Bones for being what the present is all about — taking somebody with completely no dance expertise and seeing them enhance every week. Nevertheless, his dance expertise had been clearly lower than par with a number of the different contestants, together with Manheim.
Though Bones obtained decrease scores than a lot of his fellow opponents within the remaining weeks of competitors, the assist he received from viewers pushed him via week after week, to the purpose the place he was named the winner of the competitors. Many viewers had been outraged on Manheim’s behalf.
Again in Season 4, Apolo Anton Ohno gained the present, edging out runner-up Joey Fatone. Each guys had spectacular performances each week, however followers had been notably taken by Ohno’s expertise, contemplating he had a lot much less expertise than Fatone, who spent years dancing in a boy band. However was Ohno truly the higher dancer? Nicely, that’s the controversy.
Shawn Johnson was clearly a deserving winner in Season 8, however Gilles Marini undoubtedly gave her a run for her cash. Viewers had been very torn when it got here to deciding between these two. In Season 16, Zendaya misplaced to Kellie Pickler, and even she mentioned in January 2025, 12 years later, that she’s nonetheless “harboring a little bit animosity” about it.
“I used to be solely 16 years previous, and it was extremely worrying,” the Euphoria star informed W journal. “Being on reside tv each week? It’s so scary. I took it very significantly, which, on reflection, I want I didn’t. I want I’d loved it a little bit bit extra and simply was like, ‘Eh, no matter.’ You realize what I imply? However I used to be stressing myself out. I actually went via it on that.”
The next 12 months, Corbin Bleu was the runner-up behind Amber Riley. It was undoubtedly an in depth race, however all season lengthy, the judges obtained backlash for the way exhausting the viewers felt they had been being on Bleu. Clearly, he had a whole lot of previous dance expertise, so he was held to a better commonplace, however a number of the commentary and scores rubbed followers the fallacious manner.
Season 20 featured Rumer Willis beating Riker Lynch to take the title. They excelled in numerous areas of dance, so it was undoubtedly a toss-up, however there are nonetheless Lynch voters using for him to today.
Of those, which runner-up do you assume was most deserving of successful their season? Vote within the ballot under and share your ideas within the feedback part!