‘DWTS’ Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Reacts to Anna Delvey’s Glib Reaction to Elimination

Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba admits she was “taken aback” by Anna Delvey’s parting comment after she and partner Ezra Sosa were eliminated during the Tuesday, Sept. 24 episode of the ABC dance competition.

After the convicted con artist told co-host Julianne Hough that she took “nothing” away from her time on the show, Inaba shared in her weekly episode breakdown with Entertainment Weekly that she felt like Delvey was being “dismissive” of the show and everyone on it. “That was dismissive not only of the opportunity she was given, of her wonderful and supportive partner Ezra in his debut season, but also of all of us who work on the show – from the dancers to behind the scenes to the creative team,” Inaba said. “We all put in the effort to give her a fair opportunity. But I don’t think she could see that and it’s a shame. A little gratitude could have changed the narrative.”

Asked if she felt the DWTS audience had given Delvey a fair shake on the show, the longtime judge said viewers “did what felt right to them,” adding, “And that’s the beauty of DWTS for our fans. Our fans are passionate and engaged and they vote for who they want to win the Mirrorball trophy.” She continued, “But I’d like to point out something important. Our fans don’t vote people off. That is not our format. Unlike Survivor we don’t vote people off. Our fans vote for who they want to win.”

Inaba had previously asked the audience to have an open mind when it came to Delvey’s casting on Season 33, pleading during the premiere, “I would just like to say, let’s all give this a chance because I can imagine that this was scary for you. And I’m not pro or for anything that you’ve done, but this is about your dancing here. Let’s all give her that space, please.”

Delvey, who was previously convicted of grand larceny, didn’t shy away from her infamy, dancing in her bedazzled house arrest monitor. “In 2017, I was accused of multiple kinds of grand larceny,” she said on the show. “I did serve my time. And Dancing With the Stars is a way for me to show people a different side of me. My prior history shows I’m pretty determined. It’s a quality to channel into something positive.” 

Delvey and Sosa were eliminated during the Sept. 24 show after their quickstep to KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” earned them a 17/30 from the judges. Tori Spelling and her partner, Pasha Pashkov, were also sent packing during the double-elimination after their rumba to “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman earned a 19/30.

Next week’s vice presidential debate will replace Dancing With the Stars in ABC’s lineup. The competition series will return for back-to-back episodes on Monday, Oct. 7 and Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.