DWTS Scoring Slip-Ups: When Perfect Scores Go Wrong
Even though the scoring method on Dancing With the Stars typically allows for minimal error, several slip-ups have occurred throughout its history.
During 2016, Nyle DiMarco and professional dancer Sharna Burgess received a score of 37 out of 40, despite judges Bruno Tonioli and Maksim Chmerkovskiy displaying paddles showing 10. (DiMarco's regular partner that season was pro Peta Murgatroyd, but he switched partners for the special “Switch Up” evening.) According to former host Tom Bergeron, the actual scores recorded by the two judges immediately following the performance were 9s, and those are the official scores.
“Honestly, I believe they truly intended to give me that score, though I’m unsure how to articulate it,” DiMarco, who ultimately triumphed in season 22, commented to Entertainment Weekly after the show. “Perhaps on an unconscious level, they wished to award me 10s. Who can say? Regardless, it’s still an advantage for me in the upcoming week.”
Almost ten years later, during the inaugural episode of season 34, Whitney Leavitt and her dancing partner, Mark Ballas, were given two 7s by judges Derek Hough and Tonioli, suggesting their combined score was 14 out of 20. Yet, cohost Julianne Hough subsequently announced from the skybox that an error had occurred.
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“Bruno had actually entered an eight, so we must rectify this. The score is 15,” she informed the duo. “Such is the excitement of live television!”
Continue reading to discover additional instances where DWTS experienced scoring inaccuracies:
Tia Carrere and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Almost three years subsequent to Carrere and Chmerkovskiy's participation in season 2 of DWTS in 2006, where they placed sixth, judge Carrie Ann Inaba confessed she had “displayed the incorrect paddle previously” while evaluating the couple.
“On one occasion, I showed the wrong paddle, specifically for Tia Carrere during her dance with Maks,” she wrote in a blog post distributed to EW in March 2009. “I was compelled to show an ‘I’m sorry’ paddle the following evening. It was quite mortifying, but we eventually found humor in the situation.”
Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
When the eighth season of DWTS premiered in 2009, previous cohost Samantha Harris stated she received a document containing the judges’ scores in advance and conceded that Inaba had presented the incorrect paddle, as reported by Fox News. Observers also noted that the live broadcast inadvertently swapped Inaba’s and Tonioli’s scores on screen. (Richards ultimately became the second star to be eliminated that evening.)
Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
During Andrews’ participation as a competitor in season 10 in 2010, alongside Chmerkovskiy as her dance partner, Tonioli mistakenly displayed a paddle showing a 10, despite intending to award the duo a 9.
“It’s the semifinals!” Tonioli declared, according to EW. Andrews ultimately secured a third-place finish in the competition.
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough
Prior to Pickler and Hough claiming the mirrorball trophy for season 16 of DWTS in 2013, Tonioli inadvertently held up an incorrect score paddle.
“I grabbed the incorrect paddle!” Tonioli remarked, as per a Los Angeles Times summary.
Julianne Hough Comments on 'Dancing With the Stars' Judges Reducing Scores
Nyle DiMarco and Sharna Burgess
DiMarco and his “Switch Up” partner Burgess received a score of 37 out of 40, despite the judges displaying 10 paddles. It was subsequently clarified that two judges had recorded 9s, making those the official scores. DiMarco and Murgatroyd eventually secured victory in season 22 in 2016.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
During the season 34 debut in 2025, the star of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Ballas were given two 7s by Derek and Tonioli; however, Julianne pointed out that an error had taken place.
“Bruno had actually submitted an eight, so we need to rectify this. The score is 15,” she informed the duo. “The beauty of live television!”
