Reality competitions are the ultimate entertainment for fans across the country. There are so many different competitions on television right now. Whether it’s singing your heart out to win that recording contract, or making a risotto that will knock Gordon Ramsay’s socks off, America likes to see people compete. The one competition that takes the cake is Dancing With The Stars. Dancing With The Stars combines skilled, professional dancers with celebrities for the chance to win big. It is based off the British television show, Strictly Come Dancing.
With various dances to learn and perform, and rigorous hours of rehearsal, it can get stressful. The stress of it all leads some contestants and judges to turn on each other. Sometimes it’s more than just a samba on the dance floor, it can be war! So, here are 15 of the worst fights between contestants and judges on Dancing With The Stars.
15 Michael Bolton Learned Quickly From Bruno Tonioli
Whether you’re a cashier or a mega star like Michael Bolton, no one is safe from judgement. On Dancing With The Stars, judges can be harsh and Bolton quickly learned that words can hurt. On season 11, Bruno Tonioli really laid into him and his partner Chelsie Hightower’s performance. Tonioli called it “the worst jive of all 11 seasons.” Bolton later expressed is desire for an apology which he never got.
14 Maksim Chmerkovskiy Skipped Out On Vanessa Lachey
On the show’s 25th season Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Vanessa Lachey were partnered up. Things seemed to be going well between the two until October 2nd. Chmerkovskiy skipped out on his performance with Lachey. He later tweeted, “As you are all aware, I had to leave the show last week to take care of some personal issues, I take full responsibility for my absence and want to apologize to my partner Vanessa. We are both looking forward to dancing for our fans next week!”
13 Mischa Barton Got Told Off By Artem Chigvintsev
Artem Chigvintsev and Mischa Barton’s partnership was doomed from the start. Apparently, she didn’t realize what she signed up for. In an interview with The Ringer she stated, “I had no idea it would be so bad. I got told off by my dancer. I was supposed to control the costumes, I was told that I could do the design aspect of it, that’s kind of the reason why I agreed to do it.”
12 Kirstie Alley Wrote Some Scathing Tweets About Maksim Chmerkovskiy
In an interview with Us Weekly Maksim Chmerkovskiy claimed religion got in the way of his friendship with actress Kirstie Alley. “I am no longer allowed to be Kirstie’s friend. I find it ridiculous for an adult human being to ‘disconnect’ from someone. But everyone is entitled to their own insanity.” However, Kirstie replied back in a fiery tweet “Dear Sir..after you have a** raped me there is really no reason to include ‘I wish you the best’.. It's rhetorical.”
11 Cheryl Burke Was Out Of Line After She Said This About Ian Ziering
Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering’s partnership might have been the worst experience ever according to Burke. She stated, “It made me want to slit my wrists” and that he was the worst partner she ever had. Burke later apologized for her choice of words as suicide is no laughing matter.
10 Jennifer Grey Was Sensitive, Derek Hough Was Frustrated
Rehearsals for a competition can be stressful, and that was the case for Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. After having trouble with her choreography Grey walked out on Hough in a huff. She later told People, "I’m very sensitive, and you know, he was frustrated. So what? We’re human beings. Whatever. It’s not that big a deal.”
9 Jaleel White Got In Kym Johnson's Face
Apparently stepping on someone’s foot is reason enough to insult them. During rehearsals on season 14, Jaleel White allegedly stepped on Kym Johnson’s foot and according to a source “got in her face” and called her an “idiot.” White claimed the situation was “completely exaggerated.” The whole ordeal was later brushed under the rug.
8 David Alan Grier Lashed Out At Carrie Ann Inaba
David Alan Grier had a lot to say against judge Carrie Ann Inaba on season 8 of Dancing With The Stars. After the judges' critiques, he lashed out in a profanity-laced rant and called out Inaba specifically. “There’s several people that can kiss my a**, but she’s definitely the first in line…”
7 Maksim Chmerkovskiy Doesn't Care For Abby Lee Miller
Abby Lee Miller is known for her harsh manner. On season 18 Miller was a guest judge and criticized contestant Meryl Davis. Her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy said in regards to Miller that he “really [doesn’t] care for anything she has to say.” Miller wasn’t hurt by his remark but claimed it was “disrespectful to ABC and to Dancing With The Stars and to a judge.”
6 Tony Dovolani Quit On Kate Gosselin
During season 14 Tony Dovolani had a tough time with partner Kate Gosselin. During a heated exchange Dovolani actually quit the show in the middle of rehearsals. After cooling off he returned and apologized. He later revealed his reasoning for his outburst. “I just felt at that moment that she had done the show for the wrong reasons. I hadn’t signed up for that.”
5 Hope Solo Made Some Wild Claims About Maksim Chmerkovskiy
On the 13th season of Dancing With The Stars, it was nothing but drama between Hope Solo and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. In her memoir she stated, “He manhandled me in rehearsals from the start, pushing me, whacking my stomach, bending my arms roughly. I thought that was just how it went — how dancers worked with each other. But it kept getting worse. One day, Maks was trying to put me in a certain position and hit my stomach so hard with his open palm that I had a red handprint there for the rest of the day.” Chmerkovskiy’s response? Denying the accusations claiming, “She’s just a s****y person.”
4 Maksim Chmerkovskiy Tells Len Goodman To Hang It Up
Head judge Len Goodman claimed Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s rumba as the “worst dance” of their partnership during season 13 on Dancing With The Stars. Goodman stated that he had “been in this business for 50 years.” “Then maybe it's time to go,” replied Chmerkovskiy. Ouch. Way to take the critique to heart man.
3 Amber Rose And Julianne Hough Had A Misunderstanding
Amber Rose and Julianne Hough had a minor misunderstanding during season 23. Rose felt as if Hough was body shaming her after her salsa routine with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. On her podcast Loveline with Amber Rose,Rose discussed her feelings. “Last night was like, they did the commentary, and I, it was a point in the dance where I had to lift my leg up and Maks dipped me & [she] said, ‘Oh, I’m uncomfortable,’ and instantly I felt, I did feel body shamed.” The pair later apologized to each other and squashed their beef.
2 Bruno Tonioli Was Out Of Line When He Said This About Charlotte Mckinney
Charlotte McKinney is known for being a blonde bombshell but that doesn’t automatically mean she’s dumb. For some reason judge Bruno Tonioli made insulting, sexist remarks towards her. “You're never going to win the Nobel prize for quantum physics, but you are easy on the eyes and you produce wonderful shapes.”
1 Tom Bergeron Disagreed With ABC
This feud is a little different, it’s not between a contestant and a judge, in fact, it’s between host Tom Bergeron and the network itself. He didn’t agree with ABC casting former White House press secretary Sean Spicer for season 28. In the end Bergeron wrote, “We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call.”