Lindsay Arnold: DWTS Finale Will Focus on Fan Votes, Not Judge Scores

Lindsay Arnold is convinced that the Dancing With the Stars season 33 winner will be determined by fan votes, after a series of wacky judges’ scores.

“I think what has happened this season — it’s always important, but I think more than ever — the voting is what is making the decision,” Arnold, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly while attending Diamond Crystal Salt’s culinary Friendsgiving on Thursday, November 14.

She explained, “In the past, scores have been a little bit more [weighted],” but this season, “It’s emphasizing how much [fan] vote[s] matters, and how you’ve gotta get out there.”

Arnold, who was a pro on the ABC series on and off from 2013 to 2021, noted that fans need to “support the couples you want to see” during the finale, which airs on Tuesday, November 26.

“The way that the scoring has been, it’s kind of leaving everything open in the air, and it really does come down to audience vote,” Arnold said, after previously calling the judges’ ruling this season “confusing.”

Lindsay — who is rooting for her little sister Rylee Arnold and her partner Stephen Nedoroscik — thinks it’s “cool” that fans’ love of a team is such a big part in determining a Mirrorball Champion.

“There’s a reason people tune in and it’s because they have their favorites, so it will be cool to see,” she told Us, confessing that the fan vote makes it “kind of crazy and very unpredictable.”

She teased, “I genuinely have no idea how the season is gonna end. Which is fun!”

No matter who wins, Lindsay told Us that she gets to see Rylee, 19, just a few days after the finale takes place on Thanksgiving.

“Last year, Dancing With the Stars wasn’t over until, like, two weeks after Thanksgiving so we went out to Malibu and did Thanksgiving with Rylee down there,” Lindsay recalled. “But this is kind of how it usually is, and every season I was on, it ends on a Tuesday and then basically you just come home and get to have Thanksgiving.”

The professional dancer called the Thanksgiving feast “like [a] graduation present” for making it through another DWTS season.

“It was almost, like, your celebratory thing, and it’s really fun because we’ll all be back together for the first time in months,” Lindsay gushed, adding that when she won season 25 with Jordan Fisher she brought her trophy to their family dinner.

She joked, “I was like, ‘Hey guys, I have a new centerpiece for us!’ It was a good little icing on the cake. So I really hope that’s Rylee’s situation. That would be very cool.”

Lindsay noted that Rylee “gets to come home as soon as the show is over,” meaning back to Utah where she lives, which she is “really looking forward to.”

Another thing Lindsay is excited about this Thanksgiving is cooking with Diamond Crystal Salt. “The first recipe I made using Diamond Crystal Salt, instantly the flavor was better,” she gushed.

“I know that my days just go easier, especially on holidays, if I do some prep work before,” she said. “I’m preparing the dishes the night before. And I’m prepping them and throwing them in the oven right before because, for me, that just makes the holiday enjoyable.”

When it comes to her favorite recipe using Diamond Crystal Salt, Lindsay told Us she uses the ingredient for desserts. “I’m a big sweet and salty [girl]. Any dessert, I’m putting salt on,” she shared. “One of my favorite restaurants does a lemon gelato and they put salt and olive oil on top, and it is so good.”

Lindsay joked it might sound “kind of weird,” but insisted it’s delicious.

“I love how Diamond Crystal Salt, you can either just add it with the flakes without crumbling everything up, or you can make it a little bit more fine, so you can kind of personalize what you want,” she added. “But I’m a big sweet and salty girl. So that’s probably my go-to.”

Lindsay — who shares daughters Sage, 4, and June, 18 months, with her husband, Samuel Cusick — also gave Us insight into her holiday tips and tricks, saying, “One of my biggest tips is to understand that chaos is OK. Everything doesn’t need to look perfect.”

The former reality star is fine with a bit of a mess, adding, “It might be crazy, but at the end of the day, all that matters is the holiday itself and what it’s about. And being with family and loved ones.”

Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Molly McGuigan