Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke was “shocked” about the scores that Derek Hough handed out on the season 33 semi-finals.
“Being the main head judge, you’re supposed to call out technique when you see it, and now this is twice where he’s turned a blind eye to it,” Burke said on the November 20 episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast.
Hough joined DWTS on season 5 as a pro. He’s won six Mirrorball Trophies over the course of his time on the show. In 2020, he became a judge, and he’s held the position ever since.
Cheryl Burke Thinks Derek Hough Over-Scored Joey Graziadei & Jenna Johnson
In Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson’s foxtrot, for example, Burke said that there were obvious mistakes.
“I’m a little shocked about Derek’s comments about how it was one of the best foxtrots of all time and that his frame should be in a museum, when clearly it wasn’t a perfect frame. It wasn’t perfect. I’m pretty sure any ballroom coach, judge or adjudicator would agree. There’s no opinion when it comes to frame. It’s either right or it’s wrong,” she said.
After watching all of the semi-finalists dances, Burke admitted that, had she been judging, no one would have received a perfect score.
“I gave no 10s, not even close to it because no one deserved it. And I’m not being negative or bitter. It’s just how I see it,” she explained.
Derek Hough’s Judging Has Received Mixed Reactions From Fans
Hough’s sort of taken the lead on the judge’s table. The move came after the retirement (and subsequent death) of former head judge, Len Goodman.
Although Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli have been judging the show from the beginning, it seems as though Hough’s scoring holds a bit more weight — at least from a fan perspective. Overall, however, Hough’s scoring has received mixed reviews.
“I think most of us agree we need a tough judge. And Derek’s really the one qualified to do it because of his experience. I remember when Lindsay took S29 off and was doing recaps on YouTube, and Derek was filling in for Len because of COVID. She thought he was a great addition because he had extensive ballroom knowledge and also the experience of being a contestant so understanding what it was like on the other side. I was happy to see him critiquing things more critically this week,” one person weighed in on a Reddit thread back in September 2024.
“Derek needs to be more focused on judging and not trying so hard to be everyone’s bro,” another comment read.
“I agree, if we want these pros/celebs to improve they need to hear genuine feedback. I want Derek to lean into his critical tendencies even more. Don’t respectfully give someone a 4, give them one straight and unapologetically,” someone else said.
