DWTS Fans Debate Revival of Controversial Elimination Twist

Heavy/ABC Fans debate the possible return of the judges' save.

Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” fans are debating whether or not the show should bring back the judges’ save.

In past seasons, the judges’ save would allow the judges sitting on the panel to save one of the couples in the bottom two, thus sending the other couple home, regardless of viewer votes.

For many, the twist was welcomed because it helped curb the show from being a popularity contest and could save a contestant who really deserved to be in the competition. However, some have pointed out that the judges’ save can also be biased.

As it stands right now, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli do not have the power to save a couple from elimination.

Some Fans Want the Judges Save Back but Others Think It Would Be a Mistake

There have been various Reddit threads about the “Dancing With the Stars” judges save. There are plenty of comments for and against the elimination twist.

“I think the show was a lot better when they would announce who was in the bottom 2 and then let the judges decide who gets to stay in the competition. I understand it’s a reality tv show at the end of the day but at least some of it needs to be based on dancing instead of a popularity contest,” one person wrote, kicking off a new thread on October 30, 2024.

“No, the judges can’t be trusted. They are why we are into this mess. If the scoring was more consistent and accurate, we wouldn’t have as many issues. James Van Der Beek was robbed because of the judges save. Enough people didn’t vote for Jenn. That’s what it comes down to. It’s always been a popularity contest. It’s not Blackpool. Half votes and half scores. You have to have both,” someone else countered.

“I think they need to either bring back the judges save, or adjust the weight of the voting. I think if you had 4 permanent judges plus the voting holding the weight of a 5th judge, it would work pretty well even without a save,” a third comment read.

“No the judges save had its problems too. Ally Brooke comes to mind. If they bring back judges save there needs to be a rule that if you’re in the bottom 3 for a third time, you’re automatically out. And the judges save was only part of the show for a small time of its history. The scoring just used to be more consistent and fair,” a fourth Redditor added.

The Judges Save Was Removed to Make the Show More Dependent on Viewer Votes

“Dancing With the Stars” executive producer Deena Katz explained the decision to remove the judges save after season 31.

“I think it should be about America,” Katz told TV Line. “And at the end of the day, the judges’ save sometimes isn’t what America wanted. And [eliminations are based on] half the judges and half America voting, and so that’s kind of the reason we did it,” she continued.

The judges save was not a part of seasons 32 or 33, but Katz admitted that she doesn’t “know if we’re bringing it back” in the future.

READ NEXT: DWTS Pro Puts Wedding on Hold Indefinitely