Carrie Ann Inaba spilled some Dancing with the Stars new season secrets to Entertainment Tonight . She revealed just what fans can expect when the professional dancers and celebrity hopefuls take to the ballroom floor for Season 28.
Inaba revealed to Entertainment Tonight that some major adjustments have been made to the judging system on the series, which should make longtime fans and critics of the show very happy.
“I do know that we have made some adjustments to the judging because we got a lot of complaints,” Inaba said to ET .
“We listened to what everybody said about what happened last year,” she added, referencing the controversial win of radio personality Bobby Bones and his professional partner Sharna Burgess.
Bones might have had the personality to pull off a spin on the ballroom floor but never progressed in his technical ability. His overall win stunned many who believed that the show’s voting system allowed for fans of a particular contestant to flood social media and the show’s phones with votes, leaving more competent dancers in the dust. Inaba revealed that the tweaks should make longtime fans very happy and bring some viewers back to the show who may have departed after last season.
The longtime judge dished the dirt on this season of #DWTS ! https://t.co/ucIUMQm5Lr
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 16, 2019
Entertainment Tonight reported that there will be no eliminations for the first week of competition, and there will also be no viewer voting for the first night of performances. Only the judges will vote for the performances.
In the second week of competition, reported the news outlet, two weeks of judges’ scores will be combined and then added to a newer aspect of the series, live voting.
In this portion of the series, votes that are cast during the live show, which is shown on the East Coast first before being broadcast elsewhere, will count. Viewers in other parts of the country will also be able to vote, but their ballots would be counted toward the previous week’s dances as their votes will tally after the live broadcast ends.
Inaba also revealed that she does not yet know which celebrities will be paired up with their professional dancers. She preferred to be surprised alongside the viewers at home.
The Inquisitr previously reported that the celebrities looking for mirrorball glory include country music star Lauren Alaina, former professional football player Ray Lewis, singer Ally Brooke, actor Kel Mitchell, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek, legendary Supremes singer Mary Wilson, former basketball star and ex-husband of Khloe Kardashian Lamar Odom, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Karamo Brown, and The Office star Kate Flannery.
Model Christie Brinkley has been rehearsing for the competition since the cast announcement on August 21 but has since removed herself from the competition after breaking her arm on Wednesday, September 11 during rehearsals for the show. Her daughter Sailor Brinkley Cook will take her spot as a celebrity dancer.
Dancing with the Stars debuts its premiere episode tonight at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.