As the hit tv show “Dancing with the Stars” prepares for its finale, drama and controversy fill the stage. Only Dylan Efron, Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles and Elaine Hendrix remain. Tension rises as the couples prepare for their last dances in the ballroom; however, the real drama isn’t about who is in the competition. It’s about who isn’t.
Reality TV personality Whitney Leavitt has just been eliminated from the competition, but not without controversy. According to Parade, she admitted that she only returned to film season three of the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” to be eligible to audition for “Dancing with the Stars.”
For some Staples students, the ongoing conflicts have disrupted the comfort show by distracting them from its true goal: to teach celebrities how to dance and perform ballroom styles.
“The drama does take away from the show just being a dancing show. Whitney had a very weak fan base because of things she would say behind the scenes […] Although her dancing was phenomenal, the drama really brought her down,” Cami Barger ’28 said.
Since the start of the show, drama has surrounded Ballas and Leavitt as they attempted to organize a giveaway of two tickets, with flights included, for the Oct. 28 Halloween episode. However, ABC and BBC quickly shut the giveaway down due to the network’s rules and that it could have been seen as a way to bribe people for votes.
“With shows like Dancing with the Stars, the media is definitely influencing who gets eliminated each week because people will repost dances or moments behind the scenes to either criticize or hype up a couple,” Barger said.
During the show, drama heightened between Leavitt and her co-star, Jen Affleck, from the Secret Lives of Mormon wives. The two did not have a strong relationship throughout the show, and they both auditioned for the same season of “Dancing with the Stars.” According to E! News, Affleck spoke out on the status of their relationship shortly after her elimination.
“It’s frustrating for me because since the day I met her, I told her I wanted to go on Dancing With the Stars—like that is literally one of my dreams. The minute she sees there’s an opportunity, she’s like, ‘Oh wait, I’ve always wanted it,’” Affleck said.
Amongst the rising tensions between Leavitt and Affleck, the spotlight shone on comedian Andy Richter. Though he did not have the highest scores, he brought joy to the dance floor and quickly became a fan favorite. His votes kept him in the competition until episode nine, when he was voted off.
“Watching the show has really inspired me as a dancer. Seeing these celebrities with no dance experience learn and improve so much during the season makes me believe more is possible in my dancing,” Barger said.
His fans took over social media, throwing him numerous birthday parties for his 59th birthday and wore t-shirts with his face on it. Not only that, his supporters called themselves the “fandies,” which were a combination of fan and Andy.
“It was really sweet how long he stayed, although he was not always the best dancer and stars who got eliminated before him were technically better, it was nice to watch him be so happy and proud of himself,” Barger said. “I truly think [incorporating him] it was a brilliant thing for Dancing with the Stars to do because his fan base included people around his age.”
