Top 10 Most Controversial Dancing with the Stars Contestants

During their time on the show, Andy and his partner Sharna Burgess cemented themselves as fan favorites. However, the actor’s overall experience ended on a sour note when he returned for the finals. He caused concern due to his erratic behavior throughout the night, especially due to his history of substance abuse. It’s said that matters escalated with Andy lunging at and inappropriately touching a staffer with security having to get involved and escort him out. Sadly, it seemed like the scandals were just beginning as more claims emerged of sexual harassment on movie sets, which he has denied.

If you’re wondering why this young celebrity looks so familiar, you might have seen her on television or YouTube, perhaps you’re familiar with her singing career or maybe from where it all began on “Dance Moms.” Yes, you heard us correctly, “Dance Moms.” Mackenzie is a trained dancer, which left some viewers skeptical over her participation in the show. Paired with Sage Rosen and mentored by Gleb Savchenko, she achieved the season’s first perfect score and sashayed straight to the finals. However, previous dance training doesn’t necessarily win you the mirrorball, which she lost out to professional skateboarder, Sky Brown.

This Fox News correspondent is never too far away from controversy. While he was lacing up his dance shoes, viewers were reminded of numerous contentious moments throughout his career. From victim blaming, to shaming and bragging about his active… “social life” in his 1991 memoir “Exposing Myself.” Even after the show, during the rise of the #MeToo movement, in 2017, an old interview between Barbara Walters and Bette Midler resurfaced where the actress accused him and a producer of drugging and groping her. Fortunately, viewers didn’t have to endure him for long as he was the first to be eliminated.

This was the first time “Dancing with the Stars” crossed into the political realm, which was a controversial move in itself. As the daughter of Sarah Palin, some believed the odds were against her. However, despite her consistently low scores, she still managed to dodge elimination and end up in the finals, raising quite a few eyebrows. During this season, security had to be tightened after she received death threats and a suspicious white powder was delivered to the show, fortunately, it tested as harmless. Still, riding on the wave of controversy, Bristol finished in a very respectable third place.

Shortly after an ex-employee sued Paula and her brother for racism and sexual harassment, the TV cook joined the lineup in a bid for the mirrorball. While Deen had endorsement deals and contracts canceled, the show still seemingly didn’t see any reason not to welcome her. Although the case was eventually settled out of court, this wouldn’t be the only time she’d be accused of racism. Deen said she felt the judges didn’t want her there and critics argued that her inclusion showed complete disregard for her behavior. Despite the growing anger from audiences, she was able to compete until elimination.

Previous dance training doesn’t make this contest a waltz in the park with viewers often quick to point out the unfair advantage. While Jordan Fisher did manage to win despite his Broadway background, viewers struggled to warm up to Heather Morris, leading to her shock elimination in week six. While now she may be best known for playing Brittany S. Pierce in “Glee,” she is also a trained dancer and choreographer who at one point even danced back up for Beyoncé. Her elimination surprised her critics as well as her fans, with some claiming she was robbed of the mirrorball.

In 2020, Netflix’s documentary series “Tiger King” had the world gripped, introducing us to animal activist Carole Baskin. One of the biggest plot lines to emerge from the show aroused some suspicion that she may have been involved with the disappearance of her ex-husband, Don Lewis. Understandably her inclusion in Season 29 made headlines and to add to the controversy, her ex-in-laws paid to run an advertisement during her dance debut, offering a substantial reward for anyone with information. However, audiences weren’t wild about her dance skills anyway and she became the second person to be eliminated.

In a country already divided by politics, we looked to entertainment shows for a much-needed breather, but in Season 28, this was not to be. Viewers were enraged by Sean Spicer’s participation and how he seemed to be trying to use this opportunity to distance himself from his involvement in the Trump administration. They objected to “Dancing with the Stars” giving him a platform for self-promotion. Even Tom Bergeron tweeted his disappointment and stated that the show should be “a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate.” Despite all the outrage, however, Spicer somehow managed to survive elimination for eight weeks.

Due to their consistently average performances, fans were surprised when Bobby and his partner Sharna were announced as the Season 27 winners. Considering that this pair’s scores were constantly lower than their competitors, viewers questioned if the winners had been chosen due to popularity rather than talent. Some argued that his sportsmanship throughout the show wasn’t great either and that he was always quick to throw snide comments at the other celebrities. Until the finals, he had never even scored above an eight and some thought that his freestyle routine to “The Greatest Show” was overmarked. Talk about a polarizing figure!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Marla Maples
The Show Did Not Shy Away From Her History With Trump

Rick Perry
Another Instant When Viewers Questioned If This Is Really The Right Platform For Politicians

Christie Brinkley
Her Broken Arm Might’ve Been A Publicity Stunt To Further Her Daughter’s Career

Jennifer Grey
Wait, You Mean The Star of “Dirty Dancing” Can... Dance?

This Olympic champ fell from grace after fabricating a story about being held at gunpoint in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Despite admitting to overexaggerating the incident, he lost all four of his major sponsors and it seems the nation wasn’t entirely ready to forgive either. His debut performance to “Call Me Irresponsible” was overshadowed when two protesters stormed the stage. Security had to get involved and the pair were later arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing. Lochte said he had come on the show to prove he had changed and said he felt “a little hurt” by the incident.