A DWTS judge is reportedly about to be fired, and a former pro is rumored to be taking her place

by Junna Base November 7, 2024

All products and services presented are independently selected by the editorial team. However, Soaps.com may receive a commission for orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable information for accounting purposes.

Dancing with the stars Judge Carrie Ann Inaba is being criticized because, in the opinion of many, she scored unfairly in the 33rd season of the dance competition. Will the show replace her with another? DWTS Fan favorite?

More from Soaps.com

Is Carrie Ann Inaba leaving? Dancing with the stars?

The October 29th Halloween episode of Dancing with the stars saw participants use their nightmares as inspiration. The performances even earned 10 points from the judges – but Inaba didn’t award a 10 to a couple who deserved a perfect score.

Inaba gave 10s to everyone except Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and pretty Little Liars Actor Chandler Kinney. In the case of Kinney and her pro partner Brandon Armstrong, the judges found that their more difficult choreography needed to be graded differently and gave them a 9. “So it was really strong, but I wouldn’t call it perfection just because it’s so higher “Criteria,” she explained. Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each gave the pair a grade of 10.

Could this latest points problem mean that Inaba will soon be out? DWTS soon? “Carrie Ann will always be a part of it DWTS family, but like any family, dynamics shift and things change,” a source said The US Sun. “She’s very popular on set, but she doesn’t have the same space as she used to. She doesn’t fit in as well as she used to.”

More: Get to know the children Dancing with the stars host

The insider continued: “That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s doing a bad job, but she just doesn’t fit in with the show or the crew like she used to.” It’s led to a lot of awkward moments on set, some of which were captured by the cameras.”

The source stated that Inaba may be asked to leave the bench. “Their time seems to be up, I think it’s just a matter of time before the show pulls the trigger and brings in someone the audience is excited about,” the insider shared.

They added: “Bruno and Derek love Carrie Ann, but they haven’t been on the same page as her all season. It was frustrating for her to act out her erratic behavior.”

Who could replace Inaba? The source shared that former pro Mark Ballas is “a name that gets thrown around the most.”

More: Meet the Dancing with the stars Partner with professionals in real life

However, the source said that while Ballas would be a welcome addition to the jury, “the show needs another woman on the jury, it can’t be three men.”

Ballas won the Mirrorball Trophy with Charli D’Amelio in 2022 and announced his retirement in 2023. He recently served as a guest judge on an episode and fans were thrilled to have him there. In one DWTS In the Reddit discussion, one fan noted, “Mark was so good as a guest judge that I literally forgot he was a guest. He was so natural and had great comments for each couple. I would love to see him return as a full-time judge one day!”

Another fan commented: “I would love to see Mark as a permanent judge. It just fits in so well, doesn’t feel unnatural and I think everyone misses it.”

Inaba was a judge Dancing with the stars since 2005.

Dancing with the stars can be streamed on Disney+.