When a former contestant recalled a teen star saying he thought “Dancing With the Stars” was fixed, co‑host Alfonso Ribeiro was quick to rebut.
Key points
- A former contestant recalled a teen participant suggesting the show might be rigged, but co‑host Ribeiro dismissed the notion.
- PenaVega acknowledged that audience votes matter but emphasized that producers retain final authority over the outcome.
- ABC has not publicly responded to the rigging claim, and the show continues with its current season.
During a recent episode of Alexa PenaVega’s LexLos podcast, the former DWTS competitor recalled a conversation with fellow season‑21 contestant Hayes Grier, who, at about 15 years old, suggested the show might be “rigged” because he believed he had more votes than anyone else.
PenaVega remembered Grier saying, “Man, you know what? I think this show is rigged. I have more votes than anybody,” and she noted that his large social‑media following could make it easy to send in votes, though she did not confirm whether any actual voting irregularities occurred.
PenaVega’s podcast recounts a backstage comment
Co‑host Alfonso Ribeiro responded to a clip of PenaVega’s story on social media, writing, “No chance. We want everyone who’s popular to stay on. It’s basic logic,” implying that popularity alone does not determine outcomes.
PenaVega later clarified on the podcast that while audience votes matter, the show’s producers also decide the final result, as disclosed in a disclaimer that “the producers get to choose at the end of the day who wins.” She added that judges’ scores and the producers’ narrative goals both factor into the competition.
Ribeiro’s social‑media reply
The Independent has reached out to ABC for comment on the rigging allegations, but no response was provided at the time of publication. The series is currently in its 35th season, featuring co‑hosts Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with ten couples still competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
Reader questions
Did Hayes Grier actually say Dancing With the Stars is rigged?
According to Alexa PenaVega’s recollection on her podcast, Grier suggested the show might be rigged because he believed he had more votes than anyone else.
What was Alfonso Ribeiro’s reaction to the rigging claim?
Ribeiro posted on social media that there is “no chance” the show is rigged, stating that popular contestants are kept on for logical reasons.
How does DWTS describe the role of audience voting?
PenaVega noted that the show includes a disclaimer indicating that while audience votes count, producers ultimately decide who wins.
Source: the-independent.com
