It wouldn’t be a Dancing With the Stars season without viewers calling out the judges’ critiques.
We think it’s fair to say that some of the feedback, mainly from Carrie Ann Inaba this season, has been a bit surprising.
Pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy took issue with the longtime judge earlier this month, claiming that her sentiments about routines offer “no substance.”
Judges tend to quickly move on from criticism for their feedback, but viewers are not the same.
In fact, some are calling for Carrie Ann to lose her seat at the judging table entirely.
While Carrie Ann has been on the judging panel for all 33 seasons, some think the show should have a new judge.
We’ve already witnessed plenty of changes to the show over the years, but it would be surprising if producers considered parting ways with Carrie Ann.
Should Mark Ballas lead the DWTS judging panel?
Last week’s episode featured the return of pro dancer Mark Ballas.
This time, he pulled up a seat at the judges’ table as a guest judge, and some fans think he’d be better on the panel full-time than Carrie Ann.
“Mark needs Carrie Ann’s spot,” said one fan alongside a GIF of Homer Simpson walking backward into a bush.
Another fan used Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms to get their point across.
“Mark is coming for carrier ann’s seat,” the viewer declared.
Truthfully, we wouldn’t be too surprised if Mark returned to the show full-time, but it probably wouldn’t happen unless Bruno Tonioli or Derek Hough gave up their seats on the panel.
There has been much chatter recently about whether a permanent fourth judge could become permanent.
The rotating guest judges can help bring new energy every week, but it doesn’t work when you include people like Gene Simmons.
“Please I’m begging can we replace Carrie Ann with Mark I hate her with everything in me,” another viewer shared on X.
While the common consensus is that viewers want Mark to replace Carrie Ann, something tells us she will continue generating headlines for the show years to come.
Carrie Ann is an original judge
Love her or hate her, removing an original judge could cause the show to lose many viewers.
Viewers are looking for consistency, and keeping her on the show is probably for the best.
Now, if the ratings somehow flatline, that would be another story.
But the reality is that DWTS is in fighting form and dominating in the ratings, which is more than can be said for the competition.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC. You can stream full episodes on Disney+ and Hulu.