Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough is happy that viewers decide which contestants move forward in the competition without the judges getting involved.
“By the way, can I just say something right now? I’m so glad we don’t have that anymore,” Hough, 41, said during a Wednesday, October 28, conversation on Extra, referring to the judges’ save from past seasons. “I’m so glad we don’t have that.”
When DWTS guest judge Shirley Ballas shared that she thinks the show needs to bring back the judges’ save, Hough replied, “I don’t want it.”
“You know why I don’t want it?” he asked. “I’ll tell you why, because, one, things happen and it’s shocking and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe they went home.’ It’s a shocking moment and it’s surprising.”
“Also, I’m good,” Hough continued. “I don’t want that responsibility. I don’t wanna be the one to be like, ‘Sorry, bro, you’re going home.’ I’m good. That’s up to you guys at home.”
From Ballas’ perspective, it’s a positive component to have the audience involved in the elimination. On the U.K.’s Strictly Come Dancing, where Ballas, 66, serves as a judge, the viewers can select the bottom two contestants and the judges then save one.
“I think it’s good that the audience choose. They put two in the bottom. That was their choice,”
she said. “And then, at the end of the day, we get to save the dancer that we think is the best.”
She continued, “Because sometimes, on your kind of show, let’s just say [there’s] a scenario [where] they could send all the good dancers home. And then, you know, you’re left with a different final. So it’s important that there’s something for everybody.”
Ballas served as a guest judge on DWTS’ Horror Movie Night, where she raised eyebrows for handing out 4s to Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa as well as Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik and a 5 to Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess. (Cameron and Burgess, as well as Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, were ultimately sent home in a double-elimination.)
After the episode, Ballas appeared surprised when she was told that she handed out “some of the worst scores” DWTS had ever seen on week 7 of the competition.
“Really? Oh my goodness. Now to me, those scores are actually still quite good because they’re not 2s and 3s,” Ballas told On The Red Carpet. “So 4s, 5s and 6s for me is a generally good score. You’re on a good track. And then when you get to 7s, 8s and 9s, you’ve really mastered your craft.”
When Ballas was told there had only been a “couple” of 2 paddles given by DWTS judges through the years, she replied, “Oh my goodness. It’s a good [thing] I’m not a full-time judge on this then, isn’t it?”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
