Carrie Ann Inaba Shares Her Honest Opinion on The Shocking ‘DWTS’ Semi-Finals Twist
Photo by: Disney/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 2 minutes
The latest episode of Dancing With the Stars Season 32 left everyone surprised. Longtime judge Carrie Ann Inaba shares her thoughts about the unprecedented ending and the emotional shoutout to Len Goodman.
Carrie Ann Inaba Shares Thoughts on DWTS Semi-Finals
In an unprecedented move, all five couples advanced to the finale on Monday night’s semi-final episode of DWTS. Judge Inaba dishes on the emotional evening, and shares what she really thinks about all five dance couples advancing to the Finale.
According to Inaba, having five couples in the finale will make for an incredibly competitive final round of dancing. She calls it the “most competitive finale we’ve ever had.” With so many breakthrough performances on semi-final night, Inaba says “it’s anyone’s game” going into the last episode.
Inaba also addresses contestant Ariana Madix‘s ongoing back injury, explaining she wanted the audience to understand how it was affecting Ariana’s dancing. Ariana then had her best dance of the season in the second semi-finals performance, powering through the injury. Inaba challenges all the contestants to “push through their fear,” break down barriers and open up to deeper levels of performance.
The emotional highlight of the night was Jason Mraz’s paso doble, which Inaba called “magical.” She elaborates that giving stars tough feedback is meant to give them “permission to be their best.” Jason channeled his raw reaction to the judges’ comments into a fiery, unrestrained second dance.
Finally, Inaba touches on the significance of the Mirrorball Trophy being named for beloved former judge Goodman this season. It serves as a way to keep Goodman’s spirit alive in the ballroom. Inaba tearfully recalls his trademark enthusiasm and integrity as a judge.
Inaba in the Hot Seat After Denying Contestants a Perfect Score
Tensions mounted as Inaba denied reality star Ariana a perfect score for her fiery Jive routine. Despite rave reviews from her fellow judges, Inaba held back the coveted 10 points, sparking outrage across social media.
Fans blasted Inaba, arguing Ariana deserved the first flawless 40 of the season for her technical precision and captivating stage presence. Many questioned what more the celebrity dancer could do to win Inaba’s favor after weeks of top-tier performances.
The near-perfect score came on the heels of actress Xochitl Gomez another perfect score for her graceful Samba. While fans congratulated Xochitl, anger persisted that her co-star was robbed of the honor first.
As the competition barrels towards next week’s finals, the stakes have never been higher. If this week’s scoring drama proves anything, the judges may continue struggling to appease passionate fans.
