The Halloween-themed episode of DWTS was one of the most dramatic of the season so far. Actress Elaine Hendrix was unable to dance during the live show because of an injury. Instead, she and her partner, Alan Bersten, were judged on footage of their rehearsal. Not surprisingly, they were up for elimination but didn’t go home.

In between all of that, a surprising on-air spat between two of the regular judges. Things got tense between two judges on the soundstage in Los Angeles, California. Keep reading to find out more about the brewing feud on the reality show.

Fans Rate Cheryl Burke’s Return

As the competition on DWTS heats up, guest judges are added each week to share their criticism and thoughts on the routines. Their scores are added to the scores from the three main judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. Those scores are then combined with viewer votes to determine the bottom three couples.
‘DWTS’ judges and hosts/Credit: YouTube
In a shocking twist, reality star Jen Affleck and her pro partner, Jan Ravnik, went home this week. The elimination came days after a former pro dancer spoke out against the DWTS newbie. A lot of viewers didn’t expect to see Cheryl Burke back in the ballroom. She left the show in 2022 after twenty-six seasons. Her departure wasn’t on the best of terms.

After years of trashing the show, she made a shocking return as a guest judge on Halloween night. Fans thought her comments and scores were fair, but couldn’t get over the stunning new look. The pro dancer lost a lot of weight, but denied using Ozempic.
Cheryl Burke/Credit: Instagram

DWTS Viewers Shocked By On-Air Spat Between Regular Judges

Cheryl Burke’s new look wasn’t the only thing that rattled viewers. DWTS fans were left uncomfortable and confused after an unexpected on-air spat between judges on the dance show. Viewers flocked to social media to check to see if other viewers heard what they heard.
Derek Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba on-air spat/Credit: TikTok
Derek Hough appeared annoyed that Carrie Ann Inaba “yapped” through his time to give feedback to Jan Ravnik and Jen Affleck. One viewer wrote on social media about the exchange, “Did anyone catch the weirdness between Carrie Ann and Derek?”

Another added, “It felt like there was a weird back and forth with Carrie Ann interjecting.” A third fan said, “So uncomfortable. I wanna know the backstory.”

Neither Carrie Ann Inaba or Derek Hough has addressed the strange moment. But DWTS judges notoriously have little time to get through their critiques because of time limits on the live show.

Viewers have been calling for a change in the judges’ panel. The weird moment between Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough only added to the calls. Several celebrities have expressed interest in joining the show as a judge. Is it time for ABC to overhaul the DWTS judges? Tell us in the comments.