‘DWTS’ Viewers Defend ‘Best Contestant’ After Judges’ ‘Brutal’ Comments on Semi-Final Night

Viewers rallied behind Joey Graziadei and his partner, Jenna Johnson, after the judges delivered harsh feedback on their dance routine, leaving fans convinced the score was undeserved.

Graziadei and Johnson performed a Paso Doble to “Come Together” by Lennon and McCartney for their Latin dance. Following their perfect score for the Foxtrot earlier in the competition, the pair aimed to replicate their success by channeling the precision required for the Spanish-inspired dance.

Graziadei stepped onto the dance floor embodying the spirit of a matador. He delivered a performance filled with dramatic flair and powerful movement. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the “attack” and “passion” of the routine but critiqued some of Graziadei’s footwork.

Bruno Tonioli agreed, noting areas for improvement while applauding the energy of the performance. However, Derek Hough disagreed with his fellow judges, arguing that Graziadei aced it.

Ultimately, the duo earned a score of 28 out of 30—a strong showing, though not the perfect score they had hoped to repeat. Fans felt that Joey Graziadei deserved all the 30 points and they voiced their discontentment online.

One passionate viewer exclaimed, “I am SO DONE THIS WAS THE BEST DANCE OF THE SEASON. PERIOD. JOEY HAS BEEN THE BEST CONTESTANT ALL SEASON. OVER THESE JUDGES.”

Another fan couldn’t hide their frustration, writing, “Brutal judges comments! Should have gotten maybe 1 point off, no more, so 29. Everyone VOTE for Joey!!” A supporter called out the inconsistency, “There were mistakes from the other couples too. I’m finding the scoring slightly biased. I loved it. THAT was a great Paso.🤗 [sic].”

“Joey was totally underscored on this dance awsome [sic],” added one commenter, keeping it short and direct. Another fan offered encouragement despite some missteps, “I wish he wasn’t off time, he would’ve gotten all 10s! Well done Joey. You are not done yet! Go win the Ball 🪩.”

Criticism of the judges didn’t stop there, with one user declaring, “Mistakes snd get a 10 and 2 9s. Judging is prejudice!!!!! [sic].” Their sentiments were shared by another user, “Danny make mistakes in first dance and got overscore [sic].”

A glowing review followed, with one fan asserting, “They were amazing and they should have had perfect scores.” Finally, some called for action, targeting one of the judges, “Erm that deserved a perfect score. Fire Carrie Ann.”

While fans believed Graziadei deserved a perfect score, he was simply thrilled to secure a spot in the finals—a goal he had eagerly pursued. In his pre-dance package ahead of the Foxtrot, Graziadei shared that his motivation extended beyond personal achievement. He aimed to make history as the first male lead from “The Bachelor” franchise to reach the “Dancing with the Stars” finale.

After his Foxtrot dance, he received praise from Hough, “That dance was a masterclass and a breath of fresh air. That was one of the best, if not the best, Foxtrot I’ve ever seen [on the show].”

Graziadei was elated to receive this feedback as he noted after the dance that he was relieved and looking forward to reaching the semi-finals, which he did.

On the 500th episode of “Dancing with the Stars” Graziadei also shared his favorite piece of feedback he received from dancing professional Gleb Savchenko, who believes Graziadei is going to win this season of of the show.

Graziadei recalled that Savchenko came up to him after his tango, marking one of the first times feedback truly stood out. Hearing it from a pro made it more impactful, as Savchenko told him it was a proper tango that blew him away. It was the first time he felt like something he did really resonated.

“I can really feel good about this because I trust them and honestly they are also amazing, So, for him to say something like that really, really shock the core of me and made me feel great,” he gushed.

So far, Graziadei is enjoying his time on “Dancing with the Stars.” When the new season premiered, he described his first experience as chaotic and crazy, especially practicing the dances several times. However, he said his first dance was amazing, thanking Johnson, whom he got to lean on.

Johnson also praised Graziadei, saying that he did a great job for his first dance despite the fact that they went first among all participants. Now, with the finals ahead, Graziadei and Johnson are ready to take on the ultimate challenge.