Sharna Burgess candidly weighed in on the conversation surrounding judges’ scores on Dancing With the Stars.
Burgess, 41, took over the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast with her season 35 partner, Tyler Cameron, on Tuesday, October 20, ahead of Dedication Night. When Cameron, 33, asked whether the DWTS judges are tougher on certain contestants, Burgess shared her honest take.
“I think our fan base would say yes,” she said. “And I feel like our judges would say they are trying to judge fairly across the board.”
Burgess pointed out that she has experience judging on the Australian version of the show and acknowledged “there are just contestants that you look at differently.”
“For example, I would look at Harry [Shum Jr.] differently,” she explained, referring to Cameron’s season 35 competitor, who has an extensive dance background. “I would demand that Harry is truly not just learning and attempting, but executing real technique of the dance, right?”
As for someone without dance experience, such as her own partner, Burgess said the goal is “improvement” from week to week.
“I want to see you doing the technique, but I have a higher level of expectation of how that’s executed from someone that has dance experience,” she explained. “And I know that makes it really hard when you’ve only got 10 points to judge. … So it’s not a perfect system. But yeah, you do tend to be harder on some people than others because the expectation is a little bit different.”
Burgess noted there are some aspects of judging that are more “subjective,” like feeling connected to the dancers’ emotions or simply enjoying the choreography. On the other hand, the judges also have to look out for timing, clean lines and technique.
In recent seasons, fans have become more vocal about not agreeing with the judges’ scores for certain routines. During the podcast conversation, Cameron’s fiancée, Tate Madden, chimed in to debunk a popular response from viewers online.
“I think people get really upset in the comments when they say, ‘Oh, Harry got an 8 and Tyler got an 8,’” she said. “I am always like, ‘Well, they’re different 8s.’”
Burgess emphasized again that the DWTS judges only have 30 points to work with. “It’s tough to criticize what the judges put out there, because you’re deciding it in a moment … and you do your absolute best to give the score that you feel is right,” she said. “It’s a tough gig.”
This week, Cameron and Burgess will perform a contemporary routine to “Supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran in honor of mothers everywhere. Madden, who got engaged to Cameron in August, will join them in the ballroom. (Cameron’s own mother, Andrea, died in 2020 after a brain aneurysm.)
“This is my biggest one,” Cameron said on Tuesday, thanking fans for their support along the way. “I’m just very, very grateful.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
