‘Dancing With the Stars’ Alum Peta Murgatroyd Weighs in on Scoring Backlash

Dancing With the Stars alum Peta Murgatroyd is weighing in on the scoring controversy that continues to spark outrage with fans of the ongoing 34th season of the ABC dance competition.

As fans rail online against what many feel is inconsistent scoring from the judges, the two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner told E! News that she felt the scandal was mostly in the minds of the viewers.

“People are very vocal this season, I think it’s just because it’s a very much younger audience and demographic that are watching the show now and they just want what they want out of the judges,” Murgatroyd told the outlet. “They want the scores they want to see. And when one person gives a lower score than all the other judges, they tend to flip out over that type of stuff.”

And while the dancer didn’t want to encourage fans to be so upset with judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, she noted, “It kind of adds to the press of the show and it adds to people talking.”

The fans aren’t the only people to notice the scoring anomalies, however, with actress Elaine Hendrix telling pro partner Alan Bersten in Tuesday’s episode, “I don’t understand the scoring. Other people were given good comments and got higher scores, and I was given lower scores.”

Pasha Pashkov, who fans think has also been underscored alongside celebrity partner Danielle Fishel this season, has defended the judges’ perspective, however.

“I am in the competition, so I might be biased,” he told E! News Tuesday, “but in reality, I think judges have the hardest job. Because it’s one thing to give your opinion, you know, in a comment online or just in passing, but to then actually make that decision and pick up that number in front of millions of people watching, knowing that you might get a backlash on it is not easy.”

Pashkov noted that the judges have “the hardest job,” adding, “I’m sure they’re just trying to do the best that they can.”

Inaba herself has weighed in on the scoring controversy, writing on Instagram last week, “It’s okay to disagree about what we see. That’s what makes our show great. You have a say in the matter. We want you to vote for what you love and believe in. I appreciate your comment and the way you expressed your feelings. thank you for your passion and your opinion.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu.