Fair or not so much? Dancing With the Stars‘ Len Goodman has always been the head judge, but viewers are becoming more and more confused by the rules when it comes to their weekly save.
Each week, two couples are placed in the bottom two and the judges get to choose which to save. However, if Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli don’t all agree on who to save, Len, 77, must make the final call.
During the October 12 episode, Matt James and Lindsay Arnold landed in the bottom two next to Kenya Moore and Brandon Armstrong. Although both Bruno, 65, and Carrie Ann, 53, chose to save the former Bachelor, 29, Derek picked the 50-year-old RHOA alum — and Len agreed.
Fans were shocked again during Grease week when Melanie C and Gleb Savchenko were sent home as Len chose to save Olivia Jade Giannulli and Val Chmerkovskiy.
“I’m in favor of this situation,” the YouTube star, 22, told Us Weekly and other reporters after the episode. “Basically his vote counts, like, it’s a tie-breaker. He has the ultimate say. So that’s how it works for those confused.”
Val, 35, added, “Last week, I was really confused. This week, love it. I really understand it now.”
Pro Cheryl Burke explained the rule further, recalling when she didn’t make the final with Juan Pablo Di Pace during season 27 after coming off a perfect score.
“That was back when it was purely based off of judges’ scores and viewers’ votes. But the judges didn’t have that round where they could choose the couple to save, so in a way, I actually don’t mind it,” she said of this rule. “Now, do I think that it’s confusing this season? Maybe a little bit because there are four judges, but I didn’t realize until recently that Len’s vote is considered as two votes. I don’t know if that was explained or not.”
Artem Chigvintsev, for his part, has a different idea about what to do if there’s a tie. Watch the video above and scroll down to see all the cast’s reactions to the save rule:
“Len doesn’t actually have two votes,” the England native exclusively shared with Us in November 2021. “So, every judge has to vote and, and so Len’s vote has the deciding factor if there is a split. So, if everybody goes before Len … If there is a split, meaning if two people have voted for one and one voted for another, and Len could potentially make it a split [vote], that's what they mean by if there's a split. If Len could make it a split, then it's going to be Len that has the deciding vote because whichever one he votes for that would be the one that takes it.” She added at the time, “I feel that the judge’s save is a really great element to [the] show when they put that in; it really does add something. I know we have that in the English show [Strictly Come Dancing], and it works really great over there. I just think people don't quite understand how it works, but, I understand [and] I think it’s great.” Jamie Schramm/Country Music Association Inc./Shutterstock
"I still don't understand it, and I've said this to producers. I was like, 'Guys, we gotta reword this thing because the tie doesn't make sense,'" the judge told Us in November of the rule. "So basically, this is kind of the way I'm explaining it: Essentially, Len has two votes, that's it? Len has the weight of two votes. I wish we just said it like that because that makes so much more sense." MediaPunch/Shutterstock
"I think it's fair. Len is the head judge, and so what he says, goes. He’s off my Christmas card list. So he might not be let back in the UK, to be honest." ABC/Christopher Willard
"I like the chance to save somebody from the judges' perspectives because I do feel like they have our best interests at heart, and I do feel like they can see all the hard work and the dedication and everything that we're trying to pour our heart and souls into it. So I do like that they can save somebody. I think it's hard because there are four of them. ... He's the head judge and I feel like so far, I don't know if he's made the right decisions. I don't know. ... It's such a close call. I think anything that he does right now is going to have a little bit of backlash." ABC/Christopher Willard
"I liked the pressure. I play basketball. ... I think it gives me a little rush, not going to lie. She doesn't like it," he said, with Daniella adding. "I was panicked, OK?" ABC/Christopher Willard
"I'm in favor of this situation. Basically his vote counts, like, it's a tie-breaker. He has the ultimate say. So that's how it works for those confused," Olivia said, with Val adding, "Love it. I really understand it now." ABC/Christopher Willard
"I actually don't mind it. Do I think that it's confusing this season? Maybe a little bit because there are four judges, but I didn't realize until recently that Len's vote is considered as two votes. I don't know if that was explained or not." ABC/Christopher Willard
"They have somebody to be the head judge. I mean, imagine?" she said. Artem added, "I think what formula we have now definitely works. Is there another formula that I think would maybe work better and people will feel better about it? Yes, I do think there is an option of, let's say, there's a bottom two. If the judges can't decide who to send home, then it should be going into the voting system. Who got the most votes? ... Let's break it down to who got the most votes because then it's fair square. Then it gets to the point, you can't be mad at this, because it is decided then. The audience becomes a fifth judge in a sense." ABC/Christopher Willard
"As they try to explain it tonight, Len still has a vote, and if that vote becomes a tie, then he's also a tie-breaker. So that's how it works. It wasn't surprising to me, but I think a lot of other people were a little confused about how it works. ... He's the head judge. So, he's in that position for a reason." ABC/Christopher Willard
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