Derek Hough is explaining why “Dancing With the Stars” contestants received surprisingly low scores during the Season 35 premiere. After viewers questioned the tough judging, Hough said there was a deliberate reason behind starting the season with lower numbers.
The two-night premiere on September 15 and 16 featured the Season 35 celebrities performing their first competitive routines. But alongside the costumes and big performances, scores of 3s and 4s quickly became one of the biggest talking points.
Guillermo Rodriguez received the harshest result. He and professional partner Witney Carson performed a cha-cha to Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff,” earning only 10 points out of 30.
Carrie Ann Inaba gave Guillermo a 4, while Hough and Bruno Tonioli each awarded him a 3. The result was one of the lowest totals in the show’s history, and the ballroom audience loudly booed when the numbers appeared.
Carson was clearly unhappy with the result. After the premiere, she called the judges’ scores “lame,” saying Guillermo had worked hard on his timing, listened to her instructions and recovered whenever parts of the routine went wrong.
She later went further while appearing on the official “DWTS” podcast. Carson described the scores of 3 as “a little mean” and “uncalled for,” although she acknowledged that Guillermo still had plenty of technical improvements to make.
Guillermo was not the only contestant receiving unusually low numbers. Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik earned 12 out of 30, while several other couples also found themselves receiving scores lower than many viewers had expected from recent seasons.
Hough has now defended the judging approach. He explained that the goal is essentially to restore more meaning to the entire scoring scale rather than beginning the competition with numbers that leave little room for improvement.
According to Hough, viewers may initially experience some “shock to the system” when they see lower scores. But he wants a 5 to be recognized as a legitimate score rather than something contestants automatically view as disastrous.
That philosophy also leaves room to clearly show a celebrity’s progress. If contestants begin with 4s, 5s and 6s, their scores can naturally rise as their technique, confidence and performance quality improve over the following weeks.
Hough also said the premiere scoring felt “pretty accurate” to him. Most importantly, he believes tougher scoring makes the higher numbers more valuable, explaining that when somebody eventually receives an 8, that score should genuinely mean something.
With Week 2 approaching, the contestants now know the judges may not give away high numbers easily. Guillermo and Carson will have another opportunity to improve with their next routine, while Hough’s message suggests Season 35 could feature a tougher scoring scale where every increase matters—and earning those coveted 8s, 9s and 10s may feel much more significant.
