- Alexa PenaVega recalled Hayes Grier claiming DWTS was rigged during Season 21, sparking debate about voting fairness on the reality competition show nearly a decade later.
- Host Alfonso Ribeiro opened up about the voting process after the podcast clip went viral.
- Multiple reality stars, including Paige DeSorbo, have questioned DWTS’s transparency, though producers have explained the system that combines judges’ scores with public votes.
Former Dancing With the Stars contestants Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega seemingly chose violence on the latest installment of their pod, LexLos. Nearly a decade after competing against each other on the fan-favorite reality series, the couple decided to spill a bunch of tea from their time on the show.
In the process, they accidentally revealed some behind-the-scenes feud between two pro dancers and even discussed whether DWTS is “rigged.”
During the October 22 episode of their pod, Alexa reflected on a backstage moment she shared with Vine star Hayes Grier, who was 15 at the time.
“Hayes is only like 15 years old, he’s the sweetest kid. He’s back there with us, and I just remember all of us like one night after being in the bottom, and he’s just like, ‘Man, you know what, I think this show is rigged. I have more votes than anybody,’” she explained, adding that she agreed with him since he had “millions and millions of followers” who would vote for him.
The Spy Kids alum continued, “I think the votes matter, I do. But the shows also produce.”
It didn’t take long for that LexLos podcast clip to land on Alfonso Ribeiro’s algorithm. Of course, the DWTS host chimed in to clarify the voting process.
“No chance. We want everyone who’s popular to stay on. It’s basic logic,” he wrote under the post.
Alexa then explained that she wasn’t claiming the show was rigged.
“The clip picks up mid story😂 and then goes back to the top,” she replied. “Watch the whole clip and episode. I’m telling a story about sweet Hayes.”
Alexa and Carlos aren’t the only people who have discussed the DWTS voting process. Alfonso’s clarification also comes after Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner criticized the reality series when their friend and Summer House co-star, Ciara Miller, was eliminated on October 6.
“I knew that was a fuck ass show,” Paige said on the October 9 episode of their pod, before Hannah added, “I don’t know if it’s rigged. Even though it is weird that they’re like, ‘We’re not going to tell you the algorithm or how we did it, and we’re not going to tell you who’s actually in the bottom three.’”
The show’s executive producer Conrad Green also explained how the voting process really works during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year.
“Say there’s five couples and you’re in first place on that [judges] leaderboard, you get five judges ranking points. If you’re in second place, you get four, if you’re in third place, you get three, two, one,” he explained at the time. “We do the same with the amount of public votes. You add those two ranking points together, and the couple with the lowest combined total of those ranking points goes home.”
Welp…the mystery (sort of) remains, but shout-out to Alfonso for clearing things up this time around.