Carrie Ann Inaba Reveals She Was ‘So Scared’ During Pivotal ‘DWTS’ Moment

Carrie Ann Inaba has served as a judge on “Dancing With the Stars” since season 1. Reflecting on her first day on the job, Inaba admitted she was “so scared” to sit on the judging panel.

Carrie Ann Inaba Looks Back on Her First ‘DWTS’ Show

In a July 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Inaba shared what it was like for her on her very first day sitting at the judges’ table on “DWTS.”

“That first show I was so scared,” Inaba said. “This was my first speaking role. I was really, really nervous sitting at that desk. But the judges’ chemistry was there from the first moment. There was something very magical in the sense that we were all from such different backgrounds.”

She continued, “I didn’t know Len or Bruno at all. There was this mutual respect because they had never done American television. So, I was their big sister as far as coming over into the world of entertainment and television broadcast out here.”

The trio leaned on each other in those early days while they found their groove. “We needed each other. We helped each other figure out what this was,” Inaba shared. “Len was our loving grandpa, and Bruno was my wild and crazy brother from another mother.”

The ‘DWTS’ Judges Had Instant Chemistry

Co-host Tom Bergeron explained the instant magic of the “DWTS” team. “We all just clicked,” he shared. “It was one of those things. Chemistry is something that you cannot predict or engineer. It’s either there or it isn’t.”

Inaba noted, “I met Bruno and Len the first day of the show. We hadn’t interacted until the first day of the show. It was one of those moments where you have no idea what you’re doing, where you’re going, what’s happening. It’s all new, and it’s turned out to be this wonderful journey.”

The judges’ different backgrounds and experiences made them a dynamic trio that fans instantly adored.

“I don’t come from the ballroom dance world. That was Len Goodman’s world,” Inaba shared. “Bruno and I came more from entertainment, choreography, and music.”

She continued, “I come from a world arts and cultures background. I grew up in Hawaii where I learned the hula, which is a way of keeping my culture alive and telling stories. It’s much more woven into the fabric of our lives than ballroom dancing, which is more of a dance showcase sport.”

The “DWTS” judge added, “That’s what made the panel so balanced — our differing backgrounds.”