Bobby Bones was the underdog throughout season 27 of Dancing With the Stars, but he managed to pull off a surprising win during the finale on Monday, November 19.
The country radio personality, 38, and his pro partner, Sharna Burgess, received some of the season’s lowest scores, never getting higher than an 8 out of 10 from the judges, but that didn’t stop his dedicated fan base from dialing in and ultimately getting him the mirrorball trophy.
At one point in the season, judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bones that his “technique was nonexistent,” though she later applauded him for bringing “so much joy” to viewers. Inaba, 50, added, “The world is a better place because you’re in it.”
Bones and Burgess, 33, were both visibly shocked after the final results were announced on Monday night, when they beat out Milo Manheim and Witney Carson, Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe, and Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten.
“I think most people are shocked that we won,” the Bobby Bones Show host later told Us Weekly. “The people who voted aren’t because they are the ones who kept us in and they are the ones who made this happen for us.”
Immediately after the episode aired, some viewers took to social media to express their frustration.
“Bobby should have been kicked off on like week 2,” remarked one Facebook user. Another commented, “Ive watched this show since season ONE! This is by far one of the most disappointing, ridiculous outcomes I have EVER seen. … How Bobby Bones won is beyond me.” A third Facebook user wrote, “Sorry total FARCE!! and an insult to everyone to give Bobby Bones the trophy. This is no longer a dance contest but a fan contest. Either give the judges 100% of the decision for the semi finals and the Finale or the show is done for good.”
Many Twitter users were equally upset. “Time to change the voting system to give more weight to the judges scores,” one viewer tweeted. Another wrote, “I’ve been a loyal DWTS fan since day 1, but this was an injustice.”
Other viewers wrote that they believed Juan Pablo Di Pace, who was eliminated in the semifinals, was also robbed of the title. “Juan Pablo should have been in the finals!” one person commented on Facebook. Over on Twitter, another user pointed out that the Fuller House star, 39, and his pro partner, Cheryl Burke, received a perfect score of 30 five times during the season, while Bones never scored higher than a 24.
Bones had plenty of people in his corner, though. As one admirer tweeted, “Haters gonna hate, it’s not his fault that he improved so much and he has the best people backing him up. We are so proud of you @mrBobbyBones & @SharnaBurgess … YOU EARNED THIS!!!”
