Every season, fans wait with bated breath to see if their favorite Dancing With the Stars pair will be voted through to the next round. With any TV show that involves voting, there’s always a question about whether or not the voting is legitimate.
In a new interview, Dancing With the Stars executive producer Ryan O’Dowd addressed claims from those who allege that the dancing competition series is rigged. “We take that very seriously,” he told Deadline. “We have never, nor would we ever do anything to manipulate the votes. The show really needs to be credible. It needs to allow the viewers to have a voice and to really be the voice of who deserves to win.”
He added, “So we have never nor would we ever want to manipulate that in any way.”
The best dancing duo, in terms of scoring, doesn’t always win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy at the end of the season. It’s all up to the fans at the end of the day. That’s the magic and reality of Dancing With the Stars.
Season 33 made DWTS voting history. After its September 24 episode, 14 million fan votes came in, the most received on a single episode of the show ever. O’Dowd believes the uptick in voting 33 seasons in comes from the “engagement from the younger audience.” He continued, “This past season was so much more meaningful than any season prior. That demo is much more inclined to be active when it comes to voting. They’ve grown up with it, they’re able to vote on their phones, they’re able to vote online. It is just part of their everyday life.”
The long-running ABC series has been renewed for Season 34, which will air this fall. DWTS has already announced two of their celebrity contestants: TikTok influence Alix Earle and Robert Irwin, Steve Irwin‘s son. Robert’s sister, Bindi Irwin, won Season 21 with then-pro and now-judge Derek Hough.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34 Premiere, Fall 2025, ABC