Eight years after Milo Manheim came in second to Bobby Bones on DWTS, his pro-partner Witney Carson is opening up about the “gut punch” results of his loss.
The professional dancer spoke to Us Weekly, where she shared her thoughts about the shocking Season 27 season ender. She admitted the finale outcome was especially emotional given how far her fan-favorite partner had come throughout the competition.
Witney Carson is Still Shocked Over How Season 27 Ended for Milo Manheim
DWTS pro Witney Carson was asked about her Season 27 loss by Us Weekly on the red carpet for the Vulture Reality Masterminds Celebration in New York City. The reality television personality opened up about how she believes she “fell short” for her celebrity partner.
“I feel like that season really was a gut punch for me. It was like, ‘That should have been his win,’” Carson told the outlet. “It felt like I fell short for him.”
The dance pro added that one of the pair’s most iconic performances, a freestyle to a remixed version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” remains one of her favorites.
“I love that dance so much: I actually remember choreographing that dance and then camera blocking day, I was full-on crying because I thought I had made a mistake,” Carson shared.
“I thought Milo needed something more upbeat for a freestyle, rather than this, like, cool, kind of sultry rain dance. And then it turned out to be, like, one of my favorite dances ever.”
Milo Manheim Previously Spoke Out About His Heartbreaking DWTS Loss
In a 2025 interview with the Zach Sang Show, Milo Manheim opened up about his heartbreaking DWTS loss at length. Despite fans feeling he was “robbed” he’s not bitter.
The actor revealed, “To be honest, I feel like getting second place worked out in my favor. Because I’m reminded to this day that I was robbed.”
“I wouldn’t even say that. I guess it’s been long enough,” he continued.
“But people come up all the time now, and they’re just like, ‘You killed DWTS.’ And I don’t think I would be getting that validation had I won. So, it’s really nice.”
After Manheim lost to Bobby Bones and pro Sharna Burgess, the show’s voting system was overhauled to create a fairer experience for fans. It was updated to better balance audience votes with judges’ scores and reduce the impact of viewer voting campaigns.
The series introduced a judge’s save for Season 28 to allow the judges to decide which of the bottom two celebrities would move forward after the votes were tallied. Additionally, votes are only submitted live during the show’s East Coast airtime.
Manheim alluded to the fact that his loss was a gain for the series in terms of fairness. He said, “I’m a very political man, so the fact that I was able to make them look at the system a little bit, that’s like the best thing I could have possibly hoped for,” Manheim said.
DWTS is currently on hiatus. A new series, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,” airs in July, hosted by Witney Carson’s mirrorball-winning celebrity partner, Robert Irwin.
