Derek Hough made his feelings about Shirley Ballas’ “Dancing With the Stars” judging clear after the British dance expert handed out some unusually low scores during Horror Movies Night.
During Monday’s Disney Night episode, Hough revisited Ballas’ decision to give Julia Stiles a 4 for her Argentine tango with Ezra Sosa the previous week. Ballas also gave Tatyana Ali a 4 for her paso doble with Jan Ravnik, making her scoring a talking point among viewers.
Hough Responds to Ballas
Stiles returned to the ballroom with Sosa for a Hamilton-inspired paso doble, and Hough praised the actress for bouncing back after the tough critique.
“It was a bit of a setback, right?” Hough said, referring to the previous week’s score. “But a setback is just a setup for a comeback, and tonight you delivered that. Well done.”
The judge then turned his attention to Ballas, who served as his dance instructor and mentor when he was growing up in England.
“Shirley left her shoes here,” Hough joked, referring to the miniature dance shoes Ballas had used to demonstrate footwork while critiquing contestants.
“But listen, there’ll be no 4s, okay?” he continued before tossing the tiny shoes onto the ballroom floor.
Host Alfonso Ribeiro joined in, saying, “Get those tiny shoes out of here!”
Stiles and Sosa earned three 8s and a 9 from the judges, including guest judge Cynthia Erivo. However, the improved scores weren’t enough to keep them in the competition, and the pair were eliminated at the end of Disney Night.
Hough Has a Different Opinion Than Ballas
The playful exchange wasn’t the first time Hough and Ballas had shared differing opinions about the show’s judging.
Following Horror Movies Night, the two discussed the competition on “Extra,” where they addressed the former judges’ save. The rule, which appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” for several seasons, allowed the judges to save one of the couples at risk of elimination.
Hough said he was happy the show no longer used the rule.
“I don’t want that responsibility. I don’t wanna be the one to be like, ‘Sorry, bro, you’re going home.’ I’m good. That’s up to you guys at home,” he said.
Ballas, however, defended the format, pointing to her experience on the British competition “Strictly Come Dancing.”
“I think it’s good that the audience choose,” she said. “They put two in the bottom. That was their choice. And then, at the end of the day, we get to save the dancer that we think is the best.”
She added that the rule can help keep strong dancers from leaving the competition too early.
Ballas Talks Low Scores
Ballas also addressed the reaction to her 4-point scores during an appearance on “Good Morning America.”
“Well, you know, I’m on Strictly Come Dancing for 10 years in Great Britain, and I always believe whatever’s in my heart I have to put forward, and there’s always a place for somebody to grow. So, if you’re giving out 10s every week, where are they going to grow to?”
“I mean, a 4 for me is a great score,” the Queen of Latin dance continued. “When they get a 4 or a 5 in England, they’re like, ‘Yay!’ I could obviously tell here that ‘4’ was a paddle you’re definitely not used to seeing. But, you know, it is what it is.”
Derek Hough Shares His Reaction to Shirley Ballas’ ‘DWTS’ Judging Style