‘Dancing With the Stars’: Carrie Ann Inaba ‘Frustrated’ by Sean Spicer Being Safe Again

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been arguably the worst contestant on this season of Dancing With the Stars for weeks, but he has remained in the competition thanks to fan votes, which have kept him out of the bottom two and therefore away from elimination.

Like many of the show’s fans who are rooting for talented contestants to advance in the competition, judge Carrie Ann Inaba admitted that Spicer continuing is “frustrating.”

“My reaction to Sean being saved, it’s frustrating,” she told Us Weekly. “There are really great dancers being sent home, but that is part of our show. It’s always been the audience and the judges’ perspective. So I’m not — I can’t be mad at it, but it’s frustrating.”

“We want the people to be involved, and this is the way they are voting,” she continued. “It’s hard because sometimes I hear the feedback from the people. ‘Hey, why aren’t the best dancers staying in?’ Well, that’s up to you guys. I’m doing my job, right? And people need to vote. So, I just hope that those who are frustrated with this happening as well vote as passionately as the people who support Sean.”

During the show’s Nov. 4 episode, Spicer received the worst scores of the evening but did not even end up in the bottom two. Instead, the stars who received the lowest votes were Ally Brooke, who scored a perfect 30 for her Paso Doble, and Kate Flannery, who was ultimately eliminated. Spicer has now had the lowest score four weeks in a row but has not been in the bottom two. If he were to land there, he would almost certainly go home, as the judges are the ones who choose which of the two couples are eliminated.

Inaba noted that she has “nothing against people that are supporting Sean because they’re voting passionately,” adding, “Kudos to them for bringing it to the table.”

Spicer’s presence on the show has incited controversy since it was first announced, with DWTS host Tom Bergeron criticizing the producers for the decision. In a response to Bergeron’s comments, Spicer told Us Weekly he believes his casting “will make this show an example of how Americans can disagree about politics and tune into good entertainment shows and keep their politics at bay.”

“I think Tom has been a great host. And I firmly believe when the season is over he’s probably going to realize bringing a diverse group of people together, who can interact in a fun, civil and respectful way, is actually a way we can move the country forward in a positive way,” he said.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty / Allen Berezovsky