The "Dancing with the Stars" ringer debate may be heated now, but questions about who has an advantage have followed the show for years. The ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Winner Says Ringer Debate Denial Is ‘A Little Insulting’ first appeared on The Blast

The “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom is already buzzing with controversy before the new season has even begun.

The ringer debate centers on whether contestants with serious dance backgrounds have an unfair head start. Since its debut in 2005, the competition has brought celebrities from wildly different backgrounds into the ballroom, each learning to navigate the demands of a style they may have never tried before.

The “Dancing with the Stars” ringer debate may be heated now, but questions about who has an advantage have followed the show for years.

‘Dancing With The Stars’ Winner Says Prior Dance Experience Is ‘An Obvious Advantage’

Bobby Bones says he has noticed a pattern on “Dancing with the Stars” that continues to surprise him. In his post, he said he has seen contestants with years of dance training come onto the show and then describe ballroom as extremely difficult simply because they have never performed that particular style.

Bones made clear that he does not have a problem with trained dancers competing. His issue is with contestants acting as though having no ballroom experience means they have no dance advantage, despite already possessing skills such as rhythm, balance, flexibility, posture, body control, and spatial awareness.

He compared it to putting a professional baseball player into a slow-pitch softball game. The game may be different, but the athlete still knows how to track a ball, swing a bat, maintain balance, and generate power. For Bones, pretending that years of dance training offer no advantage is what he finds “a little insulting,” because it is “an obvious advantage.”

Fans Side With Bobby Bones Saying The ‘DWTS’ Advantage Is Impossible To Ignore

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According to Bones’ Instagram post, the reaction from viewers echoed his argument, with one commenter writing, “Same for athletes from gymnastics and figure skating. Just admit the advantage and keep going.”

Another added, “I agree! They know how to dance! They will just get better and better with no struggle like the ones with no dance experience, but like you said it happens every season.”

A third commenter pushed the argument even further, writing, “You winning Dancing with the Stars was what the show was originally all about… someone coming on with no dance experience and learning ballroom dancing and winning.”

The comments underline the tension at the heart of the debate. For some viewers, the appeal of “Dancing with the Stars” comes from watching people with little or no dance background learn ballroom from the ground up, making the presence of contestants with years of training a very different kind of competition.

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Jenna Dewan Says ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Is A Different Kind Of Challenge 

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The debate over dance experience has already put Jenna Dewan under a microscope, particularly because she spent years dancing professionally before becoming an actress. While Bobby Bones argues that contestants should acknowledge the advantage that training gives them, Dewan sees the issue differently.

The Blast reported that Dewan has insisted her previous dance background does not mean ballroom will come easily. “I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages,” she said, while acknowledging that her training helps with choreography and performance but also means she has to “unlearn” certain habits.

That defense gives the ringer debate another side. While some viewers see years of dance training as an obvious head start, Dewan believes switching into ballroom requires a completely different technique, keeping the argument over what truly counts as an unfair advantage very much alive.

The Casting Controversy Goes Beyond Dance Experience

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The questions surrounding Season 35 are not limited to who has spent years dancing. The Blast reported that some contestants are also paying attention to the relationships certain cast members already have within the “Dancing with the Stars family,” adding another layer to the fairness debate.

One connection reportedly drawing attention is Jenna Dewan’s friendship with judge Derek Hough. The two previously worked together on “World of Dance” and “ABC’s Step Into…The Movies”, with an insider describing them as “more or less besties.”

Tatyana Ali has also reportedly raised questions because of her longtime friendship with co-host Alfonso Ribeiro, who played her brother on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

One source claimed that familiarity could give Ali an advantage through their existing bond, meaning the conversation around Season 35 is no longer just about dance training, but also about who may already have an inside connection to the show.

Jenna Johnson Said More Than Dance Could Decide ‘Dancing With The Stars’

With dance experience and personal connections already fueling questions about Season 35, Jenna Johnson believes the ballroom race cannot be reduced to either one. Different contestants can arrive with strengths that have little to do with professional dance training.

The Blast reported that Johnson has pointed to athletic stamina, acting ability, musicality, and even fan support as factors that can shape a contestant’s run. In other words, knowing how to dance may help, but it is only one piece of a much bigger competition.

That could be the most important distinction in the entire ringer debate. Everyone may enter with some kind of advantage, but the Mirrorball Trophy still requires contestants to handle live performances, learn quickly, and connect with viewers.

With so many different factors now in play, could “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 finally prove that the biggest advantage is not always the most obvious one?

The ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Winner Says Ringer Debate Denial Is ‘A Little Insulting’ first appeared on The Blast