There are many dancing competition shows out there. But with 31 seasons and more than 400 episodes, Dancing with the Stars remains the fan favorite. Although the show was initially created as the U.S. version of the UK series Strictly Come Dancing, it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.
DWTS has been on the air for almost two decades now. During this time, hundreds of celebrities and athletes have competed on the show. And a lot of controversies have also sparked. Most recently, actor Chris Kattan spoke up about his time on the show. The A Night at the Roxbury star admitted that he thought that the show is very unfair, and fans couldn’t agree more.
Viewers Agree that Dancing with the Stars Shouldn’t Let Professional Dancers Compete on the Show
Following Chris Kattan’s accusations, viewers started to point out how unfair it was that people with previous dance experience were allowed on Dancing with the Stars. In fact, fans of this dancing competition series quickly made it known that they weren’t happy to see Heather Morris compete in the show’s 24th season.
Morris, who is better known for having played Brittany S. Pierce in Glee, actually had plenty of dancing experience before competing in DWTS. In 2006, she competed in So You Think You Can Dance Season 2, where she made it through "Vegas Week" but failed to make the final 20. Furthermore, Morris worked as one of Beyoncé's backup dancers on The Beyoncé Experience world tour, as well as on a mini "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" promotional tour. Many viewers saw this as an unfair advantage.
DWTS producers quickly defended the star from criticism. “Does she have an advantage? Yeah. Is it unfair? No. She has never had a ballroom lesson. She’s never partner-danced. That is a skill in and of itself,” executive producer Ashley Edens told The Hollywood Reporter. “But Heather is finding it challenging because it’s like learning a new language. It’s foreign to her.” However, the actress and dancer was voted off the competition in the sixth week.
Chris Kattan Pointed Out that Competing in Dancing with the Stars Is Very Unfair
In 2017, actor and comedian Chris Kattan was a contestant on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, competing alongside professional dancer Witney Carson.
Unfortunately, his run on the show was rather short-lived. Kattan was the first celebrity eliminated from the competition. Following his elimination, the Saturday Night Live alum revealed that he doesn't think all of the contestants are given a fair shot at the Mirrorball Trophy.
Kattan told ET that he believes there is "an unfairness to the fact" that the celebrity contestants come in with varying degrees of previous dance experience. "Simone Biles and Charo, and I are three different people going into the show," he said. "I'm not as good of a dancer as Charo [and] we have our different moves, but we can't move like Simone Biles."
He then went on to explain that the biggest issue is that the judges use the same criteria to evaluate all contestants' performance, regardless of their actual skill level. The actor suggested that either all the guest celebs should have "no dancing experience" or the judges should "acknowledge the fact that this person doesn't have experience and this person does. And give them the benefit of the doubt."
Additionally, Kattan revealed that he had broken his neck over a decade ago and had to undergo four surgeries since then, which greatly affected his ability to dance in the competition. When the actor was eliminated from DWTS, he noted that he thought fans should have been made aware of his injury at the beginning of the competition.
"I wish that my surgery and all that was noted before, but it wasn't. That's OK," he told co-host Tom Bergeron. "But I had an incredible time." Although the actor was rather "bummed out" about being eliminated from the show, he revealed that was really "looking forward" to returning to cheer on the remaining contestants later in the season.
Not Always Do the Best Dancers Win on Dancing with the Stars
Although Chris Kattan’s criticism of Dancing with the Stars is on point, it’s not always the best dancer who wins the competition. For example, during season 24, neither Heather Morris, Simone Biles, nor Fifth Harmony’s Normani won the competition, even though they were expected to, given their athleticism or previous dancing experience.
This is not the first time a guest star with little to no previous dance experience has won the Mirrorball trophy. One of the best examples of this is season 27 winner Bobby Bones.
Despite his career as a country radio DJ, Bones didn’t quite have the rhythm or flow needed to dance well. However, through his hard work and charisma, he managed to become the fan-favorite star of the season.
