DWTS Showrunner Explains Why Voting Numbers Are Hidden From Viewers

Dancing With the Stars showrunner Conrad Green is shedding light on why the show keeps its precise voting numbers private.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published just hours ahead of the season 34 finale on Tuesday, November 25, Green confessed he’d “prefer not to” let viewers know the exact figures.

“[Disclosing numbers] has a very strong chance of disincentivizing people taking part or might affect the votes going forward, because people understand who to vote for,” he explained.

He continued, “In all kinds of ways, like any election or vote, you don’t want to be prejudicing the election or vote.”

Green, who worked on the reality dancing series from its inception before taking a break after season 18 and returning in 2022, also discussed how his team tackled elimination decisions. “It’s 50/50, effectively,” he told the outlet, referring to a combination of viewer votes and judges scores.

He further explained, “When you see the judges’ leaderboards, say there’s five couples and you’re in first place on that leaderboard, you get five judges ranking points. If you’re in second place, you get four, if you’re in third place, you get three, [fourth place,] two, [and fifth place,] one. We do the same with the amount of public votes. You add those two [separate] ranking points together, and the couple with the lowest combined total of those ranking points goes home. And if there’s a tie on those ranking points, the couple with the fewest public votes goes home.”

The fairness of Dancing With the Stars voting procedures and eliminations was put under the microscope by fans earlier this year, leading one of the show’s executive producers to publicly address rumors of rigged outcomes.

Ryan O’Dowd told Deadline in May that his team took the rumors “very seriously” at the time. “We have never, nor would we ever do anything to manipulate votes,” he told the outlet, noting that the show “really needs to be credible to ensure its success. “It needs to allow the viewers to have a voice and to really be the voice of who deserves to win. So we have never nor would we ever want to manipulate that in any way.”

Tuesday night’s DWTS finale will see either Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles or Elaine Hendrix be crowned this year’s Mirrorball Champion. All five stars will perform three routines with their professional dance partner; one, an entirely new dance selected and coached by the judges, two, an instant dance, and three, a freestyle.

Green noted during his recent interview that it brings him happiness to see the high-rating reality show resonating with viewers after so many years of production.

“To see the show … in its 20th year and how much pleasure and joy it’s bringing to people and to see new people engaging with it has been a great pleasure,” he told the outlet. “I’m very proud of the show and everyone who works on it for pulling that off.”