DWTS Pro Lindsay Arnold Explains Why Scores Are Lower on Season 33

Former Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold has been surprised by some of the season 33 scores, just like Us.

“Get ready with me while I address the kind of interesting judges’ scores that we’re seeing on Dancing With the Stars,” Arnold, 30, began in a recent TikTok, adding that she’s seen “so many people talking about” the topic as the competition continues. “I’m gonna share my take on what I think is happening this season.”

Lindsay — whose sister Rylee Arnold is currently a pro on the show — agreed with DWTS fans who’ve noticed that the scores during season 33, which kicked off in September, have been “a bit confusing.” She then attempted to share her perspective as an alum of the reality dance series.

“Week after week, I find myself just kind of like, ‘Wait, what?’” she confessed before launching into her theory. “Week one, we saw some pretty high scores. I was actually at that show and I remember being shocked. … I feel like maybe they wanted to just keep the energy super positive and not have any audience members booing or having it be this big, dramatic, negative thing. So they were being nice and giving higher scores, which I love. I think that’s great.”

Lindsay pointed out, however, that starting off on such a high note comes with a few drawbacks. “For a lot of the dancing couples who are really, really good, if they already started at a seven or even an eight, there’s not a lot of room to grow from there,” she said. “And the dancers that started really good, for the most part, are staying really good.”

The Utah native also hinted that the judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli — seem to be scoring each individual pair on their own set of criteria, rather than comparing them to one another. This leads to scores being similar on the overall leaderboard despite differences in the level of technique or performance quality.

“At this point in the competition … I do feel like there needs to be some direct comparison,” she continued. “And when we’re seeing eights given out to one couple and eights given out to another, in my mind, a lot of times I’m like, ‘OK, but those weren’t equal dances.’”

Lindsay also predicted that the similarities in scores could be an attempt to “level the playing field” among the competitors. The audience’s vote also “carries a lot of weight,” she said, with the scores being evened out and the removal of the judges’ save from past seasons.

“One thing I am a little bit confused by is how we haven’t seen a 10 yet,” she added. “I feel like because we do have so many good dancers this season, they don’t wanna give out that 10 because then they have nowhere to go. … With that being said, the judges’ job on Dancing With the Stars is very hard. Also, it’s like, no matter what they do, not everyone’s gonna be happy.”

Lindsay emphasized her appreciation for the judges once again in her caption, writing, “All the respect to our judges just wanted to give you all maybe a new perspective on this 🫶.”

Lindsay joined DWTS during season 16 in 2013 and later performed in the troupe for several seasons. She returned as a pro for season 21 through 28, winning her first mirrorball trophy with Jordan Fisher during season 25 in 2018. Lindsay has not competed on the series since season 30.

“I would love to [make a cameo],” she exclusively told Us Weekly in September. “That’s the kind of thing that would be perfect for me right now. So [I] definitely have already expressed, I’d love to be there if it ever makes sense or needs to happen or whatever.”

In a separate interview, her younger sister Rylee, 19, told Us that she tried “so hard” to convince Lindsay to come back to the ballroom. Rylee made her DWTS debut in 2023 and is currently competing with Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik.

“Genuinely I feel like I’m in it with Rylee because I’m like, ‘Send me every video, call me after rehearsal, tell me everything.’ I feel like I’m so in it,” Lindsay told Us last month. “It’s funny, because I feel like I even get a little bit more stressed and worried and into it than I ever did for myself because it’s my little baby sister.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.