Kelsey Anderson and Val Chmerkovskiy did not agree with Carrie Ann Inaba’s critique of Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson’s performance during the Dancing With the Stars finale.
After the season 33 winners took to the stage in the Freestyle category on Tuesday, November 26, Inaba, 56, told Graziadei, 29, that she wasn’t a fan of the tennis-themed routine set to Jamiroquai’s hit track, “Canned Heat.”
“I just found that to be a tad underwhelming,” the DWTS judge said. “I just found some of the angles, because of the racket, had to be super tight and it just didn’t nail it.”
Anderson, 26, who is engaged to the former Bachelor, was the first to demonstrate that she didn’t agree, booing loudly and giving Inaba’s critique a thumbs down from where she sat in the finale’s studio audience.
Johnson’s own significant other, fellow DWTS pro Chmerkovskiy, 38, took his frustrations out via social media, where he posted a few of his own thoughts. “Whaaaat did you say his racket swing needed to be tighter? What!?” Chmerkovskiy, who married Johnson, 30, in 2019, wrote over a photo of himself looking confused and posted via his Instagram Story. “10 weeks of busting your ass for that?! Unbelievable.”
Inaba’s critique also argued that “the energy just kind of dipped in the middle,” despite telling Graziadei that he was “amazing” and she had seen talent in him “from the first time” she watched him dance on the ABC series.
Fellow DWTS judge Derek Hough and the show’s cohost Julianne Hough also failed to see the routine through Inaba’s critical viewpoint.
“Joey, my man, come on!” Derek said while delivering his own verdict. “How dare you, Carrie Ann? Joey, that was phenomenal. And Jenna, your body of work all three seasons, what you produce year after year is incredible. Joey, that was a fantastic Freestyle.”
As Derek spoke, Anderson was also seen cheering.
Meanwhile, Derek’s sister, Julianne, 36, told the pair they “absolutely nailed it,” which was very much reflected in the judges’ scores for Graziadei and Johnson, which rolled in with a 9 from Inaba, a 10 from Derek and a 10 from Bruno Tonioli.
Graziadei and Johnson’s big win during the finale marked the first time a Bachelor has ever taken home the show’s Mirrorball Trophy.
Prior to the finale’s conclusion, Derek gushed over Graziadei’s dance floor skills. “Joey Graziadei, the showman. Joey is a natural performer,” Derek said earlier in the show. “Versatile, consistent and unmatched in musicality. Week after week he confidently handles complex choreography showcasing impressive range.”
Anderson also shared her own adoration for her fiancé prior to the finale, taking to TikTok on Monday, November 25, to pay tribute to Graziadei. “Every Tuesday right after his performance, Joey texts me, saying, ‘I hope I made you proud,’ which of course he does — but honestly, he makes me proud every single day,” she said in the clip. “It’s not just about his accomplishments; it’s the way he treats others and the unwavering commitment he brings to everything he does.”
