Cheryl Burke Defends Carrie Ann Inaba Amid ‘DWTS’ Judging Criticism

Former Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke is supporting judge Carrie Ann Inaba as she continues to face backlash over her Season 34 scoring.

“I agree that they go hard on her vs. the two men sitting there. And I think that’s always been the case, and she has openly talked about it, how it’s harder for her,” Burke shared in an interview with Variety published on Thursday, October 23. “I’ve experienced it, but in a different way; I’m outspoken about something vs. somebody who is a man, I do see the difference.”

Burke noted that the judges don’t give criticism to elicit an “outside reaction,” adding, “At the end of the day, this is her job, and she’s doing her job, and she’s doing it well.”

Inaba and her fellow DWTS judges, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, have faced some online criticism for their feedback and scores since Season 34 premiered last month. Inaba, in particular, has been accused of showing favoritism to certain couples.

“So much love for Whitney [Leavitt], and always so harsh with Jen [Affleck]?? If Jen was as far off beat as Whitney was you would have given her a 6. But Whitney gets a 9 ,” one Instagram user wrote underneath Inaba’s October 15 post about the show’s Dedication Night episode. A different fan added, “Us fans are over you and your biased judging and favoritism. You gave Robert [Irwin] the score you should have given Whitney. You bring nothing to the show be negativity at least Kym [Johnson] is kind in her critics.”

Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli

Disney/Eric McCandless

Inaba later responded to another fan who commented, “You giving Robert an 8 though! You know he outperformed Dylan [Efron], as much as I love him!” She replied, “It’s okay to disagree about what we see. That’s what makes our show great. You have a say in the matter. We want you to vote for what you love and believe in. I appreciate your comment and the way you expressed your feelings. thank you for your passion and your opinion.”

Following the show’s Tuesday, October 21, Wicked Night episode, Inaba poked fun at her haters by lip-syncing along to the song “Actually Romantic” by Taylor Swift via Instagram. “But it’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me / It’s honestly wild ‘All the effort you’ve put in,” Swift sings in the track’s chorus. “It’s actually romantic / I really gotta hand it to you, ooh /No man has ever loved me like you do.”

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Over the clip, Inaba wrote, “My wednesday morning anthem.”

Burke will have her own chance to give the Season 34 couples her feedback as a guest judge on the show’s upcoming Halloween Night episode on Tuesday, October 28. “I hope to be empowering and encouraging, but of course, I’m going to be constructive,” she told Variety. “I have 15 seconds to talk! That’s going to be the hardest part for me. Ultimately, I want to help these people.”

She continued, “Yes, we’re going to compliment them if they did a great job. But I think for me, I really want to get into the technical aspect of things, regardless of the theme. I’m looking for authenticity between the two people dancing with one another, authenticity to the style of dance that was assigned.”

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)

For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.

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