DWTS’ Bobby Bones Returns Mirrorball Trophy Over Tom Bergeron Diss

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Tom Bergeron is walking back on his comment aboutBobby Bones.

The former host of Dancing With the Stars has apologized for a recent comment where he suggested the winner of season 27 was an unexpected champion. He made the remark while reflecting on his time hosting the show from 2005 to 2019.

I was most surprised when Bobby Bones won,” Tom shared with Parade in a recent interview. “That’s when it really hit me, and honestly, it stung a little. I don’t mean any disrespect to Bobby – he’d probably agree!”

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! Tommy just came for him, and he totally fired back! I mean, seriously, he was SO offended he said he’s actually returning his Mirrorball trophy – the one he won with Sharna Burgess! Can you even imagine?! It’s Bobby Estell, by the way, in case you didn’t know. I’m absolutely losing it right now!

Bobby explained in an Instagram video posted on November 12th that the issue wasn’t what was said, but who said it, and that he regretted even being on the show. He felt hurt by the source of the comments, not the comments themselves, and admitted he never wanted to participate in the first place.

He explained that he gave the trophy back to ABC because they updated their voting process after his win sparked debate. The changes were designed to give both the judges’ opinions and fan votes equal weight.

Bobby explained that despite a positive attitude and dedicated work ethic, he’s still facing unexpected criticism six years later, which led him to return his trophy. He feels unwelcome on the show and stated that recent, unwarranted attacks have ruined his experience. While he cherished his time on the program, these ongoing issues have taken away all the enjoyment.

He explained that he gave the trophy back to ABC because they updated their voting process. The changes were meant to give both the judges’ scores and fan votes equal weight after his win sparked debate.

Honestly, I poured my heart and soul into that show! I gave it everything I had, worked so hard, and six years later, it’s just… brutal. They’re still bringing up old stuff and trying to get at me, so I just sent the Mirrorball trophy back. It’s clear they don’t want me around anymore. I really did love being part of it, but all this negativity – these random attacks this week – it’s completely ruined all the good memories. It’s just taken all the joy out of everything.

Following Bobby’s candid video, Tom spoke out to express his regret. 

I did a lot of interviews before November 20th, so I figured I’d probably slip up and say something awkward at some point,” the 70-year-old posted on Instagram on November 12th.

He followed up with a screenshot of a message he sent to Bobby, which said, “I didn’t mean to upset you. My reaction came from genuinely believing your victory highlighted an issue with how much weight judges’ and viewers’ votes should have.”

Tom, speaking on the Bobbycast podcast, said he always felt sorry that both Bobby and Sharna had to handle the fallout from that victory, and he regrets making the situation worse.

Read on for more Dancing With the Stars feuds that shook the ballroom.

Let me tell you, things got pretty tense backstage at the dance competition! A judge with years of experience spoke up, saying she felt like she was being unfairly targeted and, frankly, bullied by some of the fans rooting for a former star from ‘The Bachelorette’. It’s never good when the passion of the audience spills over and creates a hostile environment, and it definitely made things awkward.

Ugh, it’s happening again. Every year around this time, people just start attacking me online – it’s because I’m honest about what I think, you know? I can’t believe even as grown adults, people are still so mean! I was talking about it on The Talk after a recent episode of Dancing with the Stars, and it’s just… frustrating. It’s like they can’t handle someone having an opinion!

Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Kaitlyn and her partner, Artem Chigvintsev, after their jive performance for including a lift, which isn’t allowed by the show’s rules.

I’m not sure how to score this,” she admitted to Kaitlyn. “If you do that move yourself, I’m going to count it as a lift.” Because of it, she lowered their score.

Okay, so after Kaitlyn’s dance, she told Entertainment Tonight she was seriously thrown by what Carrie Ann said! She was basically asking, ‘Is Carrie Ann trying to help us, or is this just because she was so tough on Hannah Brown and now she’s doing the same thing to us?!’ Kaitlyn really wanted to know why Carrie Ann was being so critical, and how they were supposed to use that feedback in their next practice. She was like, ‘What are we even supposed to do with that?!’ It was so frustrating to watch, honestly.

Artem felt Carrie Ann’s criticisms were directed at him personally and that he doubted he could ever satisfy her.

It was obvious the actress from The O.C. wasn’t happy during her brief time on season 22, and viewers quickly picked up on the awkwardness between her and her dance partner.

I didn’t realize how difficult it would be,” she explained to The Ringer. “One of the dancers actually scolded me. I was initially promised control over the costumes, and even the chance to design them, which is why I took the job. But that didn’t end up happening at all.”

Cheryl shared that the former Beverly Hills, 90210 star, who competed with her in season four, was the partner she disliked working with the most.

She admitted on the “Allegedly” podcast that Ian Ziering would be her least favorite dance partner. She explained that she’s bothered by the pronunciation of his name – she believes it should be pronounced ‘EE-AN,’ not ‘EYE-AN,’ and that difference really irritates her.

I actually broke down crying in front of company leaders, begging them to just let us stop. They told me it wasn’t possible, and honestly, every time I brought it up, they just kept pushing forward. They insisted we would continue until the very end.

During season 23 of the show, a contestant revealed that a judge made her feel self-conscious about her body. She explained in her podcast that the judge seemed uncomfortable with her figure, specifically mentioning her hips, rear, and breasts.

Julianne and her co-host discussed the controversy during a recent show, after Julianne apologized and explained her previous remarks to TopMob News. She said her comment about being “uncomfortable” wasn’t about the dancer’s body, but rather that she expected more energy during the performance. She clarified that a sexy dance needs to be performed with enthusiasm, and she strongly opposes body shaming of any kind, emphasizing her appreciation for such performances.

Amber apologized, explaining that when she heard someone say they felt a little uncomfortable, she became embarrassed and assumed the comment wasn’t about her dancing. She said she was sorry if she had misinterpreted the situation.

Maks and his partner became close friends during season 12 and again on the All-Star season, but Maks later said their friendship suffered because of Scientology.

He explained on Watch What Happens Live back in 2014 that they had a falling out. They used to have a good relationship, but she apparently didn’t approve of the people he was now friends with. He said she told him she wouldn’t speak to him anymore, and while he respects her, he feels it is what it is. He added that he thinks highly of her and doesn’t judge people based on their beliefs – noting he’s Jewish and doesn’t personally believe in science fiction, but respects everyone’s choices.

In response, Kirstie wrote that her former partner has “ass raped” her with the comments. 

The well-known athlete and her dance partner had a difficult relationship during season 13 of the show. In her autobiography, she claimed he physically assaulted her during practice. She also revealed that the network offered to switch her to a different partner, but she refused, not wanting to jeopardize his career.

Maks refuted Hope’s accusations and responded in a 2015 podcast, calling her a “terrible person.” He explained that while difficult childhoods or past experiences can impact someone, those don’t excuse consistently bad behavior. He believes that ultimately, people are responsible for their own character.

The reality star and her dance partner struggled during season 10, and Tony later revealed he needed therapy to cope with the experience. At one point during rehearsals, he even shouted that he was quitting!

The mother of eight responded to Tony’s comments by saying she was disappointed he only remembered the negative parts of their time together, considering how much effort they all put in over many hours, days, and weeks during the competition.

The judge faced backlash after telling a contestant she wouldn’t win a Nobel Prize in physics, but complimented her appearance instead.

Charlotte was upset by Bruno’s remarks, telling TopMob News that they were completely inappropriate. She pointed out that it was especially hurtful considering the recent focus on kindness and anti-bullying efforts, and that the conversation wasn’t about intelligence, making his comments even more unnecessary.

Brooke competed on and won season seven of the show, and then co-hosted alongside Tom Bergeron for several years. She was surprised and disappointed to learn she wouldn’t be returning for season eighteen, as Erin Andrews was brought in to take her place.

After seven seasons of co-hosting Dancing with the Stars, I understand the show is heading in a new direction, and I respect that,” she said. “I’m excited to explore opportunities that weren’t possible before due to my contract. I’ve witnessed many surprising exits on the show, but this one is the most shocking yet.”

During season 18, a star from Dance Moms joined the judging panel, and professional dancer Maks Chmerkovskiy didn’t seem impressed. He told co-host Erin Andrews that he disagreed with her feedback on his performance with Meryl Davis, stating he didn’t value her opinion.

Abby strongly criticized Maks’ remark, calling it “disrespectful.” She told TopMob News that while she wasn’t personally bothered by it, she felt it showed a lack of respect towards ABC, Dancing With the Stars, and one of the judges.

CLICK: Did you know these DWTS hook-ups happened?

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2025-11-13 06:48