In a grand finale that both surprised and delighted fans, Dancing with the Stars crowned former Blue Heelers star Lisa McCune as this year’s winner. Despite receiving some of the highest scores on the dancefloor, some fans have already begun to question the fairness of the show’s voting system.
Taking to the floor for the final time, Lisa and her partner Ian received a perfect score of 40 for their first routine, followed by a score of 39 for their final spin across the competition stage.
While her performance may have dazzled both the audience and the judges, some fans believe that her many years of musical theatre experience left her with an unfair advantage, with many taking to social media to question the role of the audience and judges votes,
Fans didn’t hold back in expressing their opinions, and the general consensus was clear: they wanted the judges to score to be based on the contestant’s improvement, not overall technical performance.
“I don’t think it’s fair that people who have not had experience dancing are pitted against those who have. I have only watched the show two years and both times dancers with experience in musical theatre have won,” one fan commented.
“Ant should have won. He’s not an actor, singer, or performer like they are. It was out of his comfort zone,” added one fan, with another replying, “I heard [the judges] say they were looking for someone who performed their dance better than the night before… Ant’s comments were [that] he had danced with more feeling, improving his performance, so how then did Lisa win?”
While some fans may be disappointed with the finale result, it is not the first time that Dancing with the Stars viewers have questioned the voting process this season, with Hayden Quinn’s shock elimination causing a stir amongst fans of the show.
Hayden’s rumba, a performance filled with sensuality and rhythm, earned him a solid 27 points from the judges—an impressive score that showed real improvement. Despite this, both he and Nikki Osborne found themselves in the bottom two, while Nova Peris and Shane Crawford sailed through thanks to the studio audience’s votes. The unexpected turn of events had viewers scratching their heads and heading to social media to voice their thoughts.
“The results were wrong. It should have been the judges’ decision. Nova should have gone. She went from last to third, and they want us to believe it was because of the audience vote? I don’t think so.” The feeling that the public vote skews the results was a common theme, with many fans suggesting a return to judges-only decisions.
While it’s not exactly an uproar, the chatter among dedicated fans has certainly turned up the volume on this ongoing debate. Should Dancing With the Stars rely solely on the judges’ scores, or should the audience continue to have a say? It’s a question that has fans debating on social media, with some even threatening to tune out if things don’t change.
As one fan put it, “Why bother if it goes to public vote? Differently rigged.” Another quipped, “A lot of hard work and hours get put in by the contestants, but these two in the bottom was ridiculous. Please, judges’ votes only.”
With conversation surrounding the scoring system out in the open, fans are hopeful that the show’s producers will tweak the voting format ahead of Dancing with the Stars 2025.
For now, viewers are left wondering if their favourite dancers were being given a fair shot or if the competition is more about who had the biggest fanbase. One thing’s for sure: Lisa’s win and Hayden’s surprising exit have added a new layer to the Dancing With the Stars conversation.
