“Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba hopes Mark Ballas will return to the ballroom in the future.
The veteran DWTS judge spoke out about Ballas’ stint as a guest judge during season 33. On Dedication Night, the 38-year-old three-time mirrorball champion sat alongside Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough to critique and score a special night of dances.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Inaba described Ballas as a “really fantastic” judge. “Mark Ballas was a phenomenal guest judge,” she said to EW. “I hope he comes back again and again! I loved his demonstration of technique, and I scribbled him a little note during the show that read, ‘Len would be very proud of you.’
Inaba added, “I think Mark was touched. He asked to keep the note which in turn touched me. Now, I wish I had written it with better penmanship.”
Ballas previously made a cameo on DWTS season 32 to participate in a special tribute dance to judge Len Goodman. The beloved head judge, who was highly respected by everyone on the DWTS cast, died in April 2023.
Ballas trained with Goodman decades before working with him on “Dancing With the Stars.” He even called him Uncle Len as a child, his mom Shirley Ballas told The Standard.
Mark Ballas’ Parents Were Proud of His Debut as DWTS Judge
Ballas comes from a famous dance family. Following his judging debut, Hough noted to Us Weekly that Ballas had an edge coming from a family of “experts.” Ballas’ mom is the head judge on the UK’s “Strictly Come Dancing” and his father, Corky, is a former DWTS pro.
On October 16, Shirley Ballas posted to Instagram to congratulate her son on his ballroom milestone. “Huge congratulations to my son @markballas for being a guest judge last night on @dancingwiththestars ❤️ ,” the England-based dancer wrote. “I stayed up all night to follow along. I’ve hardly had any sleep as I was just too excited so I’m now exhausted, but it was totally worth it.”
She added that watching her son on “the other side of the desk” with Inaba, Tonioli, and his best friend Hough was a “very proud moment.”
Corky Ballas also posted to Instagram to say, “Congratulations to my son, Mark Ballas, for his outstanding performance on *Dancing with the Stars* last night! The feedback was insightful, supportive, and truly inspiring.”
Mark Ballas Said He Was Honored to be Judge on DWTS
Ballas admitted to Good Morning America that it was a “trip” to be on the other side of the judges’ table after 20 seasons as a pro dancer on DWTS.
“Being a judge was quite a different experience,” he said following the live show on October 15. “I really enjoyed it. It was great to be up there and get a front-row seat to Bruno and be next to Derek. It was great to watch the show through a different lens.”
He also posted to Instagram to thank producers for the honor. “After 20 seasons as a competitor, I feel like I’ve done it all, but somehow this little ballroom dancing show we all love still had a new experience up its sleeve for me.” Ballas wrote. “Thank you @derekhough @carrieanninaba + @brunotonioliofficial for making me feel welcome, it was a pleasure to sit behind the judges table with you all. “
“Till next time,” Ballas added.
