Radio host Bobby Bones has stirred fresh debate about his controversial Dancing With the Stars Season 27 victory after admitting he “cheated” during the competition.
Speaking on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast on Monday, Bones, 45, said he secretly put in more practice hours than allowed.
“I cheated, in the way of, they give you a limited amount of time with your partner. Like, four hours a day, they say,” he explained.
“So we would do our four, I would record the session and then go by myself and rent a studio myself and train myself. Like, illegally spent time over … because I was so far behind everybody else.”
Bones, who had never danced before joining the ABC show, competed alongside pro dancer Sharna Burgess in 2018. Despite consistently earning lower scores than fellow finalists Milo Manheim, Evanna Lynch and Alexis Ren, he took home the mirrorball trophy after receiving massive viewer support.
Looking back, Bones said he was “just as surprised as anybody” by the win, describing himself as “a fish out of water.”
“I wasn’t in any way polarizing on the show, other than I sucked,” he joked. “I tried as hard as I could and I got sevens, a couple sixes. A couple eights.”
The win drew backlash from hardcore fans, with some arguing he didn’t deserve the title. In 2024, former DWTS judge Julianne Hough also criticized his victory, saying he wasn’t “the best dancer.” Bones responded by calling himself the “greatest champion ever,” insisting he represented the public vote.
Following his controversial win, DWTS producers changed the voting rules. Fans could only vote when the show aired live, and voting was barred during the first episode of each season.
Despite the criticism, Bones said he “loved” the experience.
“I have friends that go on DWTS occasionally,” he said. “And I have friends that are still dancers on the show, the pros. Sharna was excellent. She was really hard, but I needed that.”
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 premieres Tuesday, September 16, on ABC and Disney+, with a new cast competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
