‘Dancing With the Stars’: Kaitlyn Bristowe Claps Back Against Judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s Comment She ‘Gave Up’

Kaitlyn Bristowe is shaking off a tough week in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom after her Cruella de Vil-inspired Paso Doble with partner Artem Chigvinsev earned them some tough feedback from the judges — particularly Carrie Ann Inaba, who felt the former Bachelorette “gave up.”

“I felt like your spirit dropped,” Inaba said of the performance, which earned Bristowe and Chigvintsev a 24/30 — their lowest score since week three of Season 29. After Monday’s show, Bristowe bristled against the assessment to Entertainment Tonight, insisting, “It’s not in my character to give up. If anything, I might get tired at one point, but I’m pushing through as hard as I possibly can. I would never give up.”

“A few things hurt my feelings, but I have to remember, ‘OK, I’m on a show where there’s judges, and I have to take everything they say and I can’t change it,’” she continued, adding she felt Chigvintsev didn’t get the respect he deserved for his stunning choreography. “You put in so much hard work and you come up with such incredible choreography that you work so hard on,” the reality personality added. “So to get a 7, it’s just hard.” Asked what she would tell Inaba after this week’s critiques, Bristowe joked, “I would like to say, ‘Carrie Ann, LensCrafters called and your prescription is in.’”

Chigvintsev also weighed in on the difficult week. “The thing is, I’m not the person who’s like, ‘I’ve got to go in and impress the judges.’ No. This is not my motto ever,” the pro shared. “My motto is, ‘Let’s make you the best you can be at this dance, and let’s take that to the next level every day and try to be better.’… It’s about doing the best dance she can do, because it’s her journey.” Next week, the pro teased he and Bristowe would be taking on a jive, which will be “totally different” than their intense Paso Doble this week.

Bristowe watched her dance back for the first time after Monday’s show, sharing her reaction on her Instagram Story after joking she was done with her “pity party.” She continued, “I felt very bummed out after tonight because of the amount of work we all put into the weeks and every dance — not just me, every dancer in the competition — you work so hard.” Following her dance, Bristowe admitted she “felt so good” about her performance, that hearing Inaba’s criticism was “really hard.” Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.