Flavor Flav Causes Chaos at ‘Dancing With the Stars’ With Scores
If there’s one way to shake up a ballroom, it’s by bringing in an icon who knows how to time his beat. Dancing With the Stars did exactly that by enlisting Flavor Flav as a guest judge for week 8 of season 34. Best known as the flamboyant hype-man of Public Enemy and his signature oversized clock necklace, Flav brought an unexpected mash-up of hip-hop swagger and reality TV verve. The theme of that episode (“Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night”) made his appearance even more fitting. Unfortunately, his scoring caused chaos amongst the judges and contestants. Here’s what happened.
Flavor Flav accidentally gave Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy the wrong score on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Flavor Flav’s guest-judging stint on Dancing With the Stars Season 34 turned into an instant viral moment. He accidentally gave a 9 instead of a 10 during “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.” The rap legend joined the judges’ panel for week 8, where social media star Alix Earle and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, performed a fiery paso doble to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The couple wowed the audience and received 10s from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But Flavor Flav’s score came in just short. His nine brought their total to 39 out of 40, preventing what would have been a perfect score.
After the episode aired, Flav confessed to People that the low score was a complete accident. “I gave them a nine, which was an accident,” he said. “I really wanted to give them a 10, but they wouldn’t let me change it.”
The reality star explained that the DWTS scoring system locks in numbers before the paddles are revealed. He simply hit the wrong button. “I went, ‘No. No, that was an accident. I don’t want to give them a nine; I want to give them a 10.’ But they was like, ‘Flavor, it’s already locked in. You can’t change it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh man.'”
Aside from the funny blunder, Flav noted that he was incredibly impressed by all of the dancing he witnessed. “I looked for the perfect timing. You know what I’m saying? And I looked for the perfect teamwork,” he continued to People. “Each one of these couples tonight had all that and more.”
Flavor Flav reiterated his mistake on social media
As a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars, Flavor Flav wanted to ensure everyone knew that he made a scoring mistake. He took to X to further drive the point home.
“As a judge on #DWTS,,, you hit your score on a computer first,,, then hold up the sign,” he posted to the platform. “I accidentally hit 9 for someone and told the crew I meant to hit 10,,, and they said they can’t change it and there’s nothing I can do. That girl deserved perfect 10s [sic].”
Fans posted to Reddit about how they adored seeing Flav on their screens regardless of the blunder.
“I lol’d so hard that he was giving out 10s to everyone and then Alix a nine,” one fan wrote. “Say what you will, but he was giving us nothing verbally and throwing out 10s, and it was great.”
“I loved Flavor Flav as a judge, I like when things are taken less seriously, are a little unhinged,” another fan commented. “He was hilarious, the show needed it!”
Tom Bergeron is set to return to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34 as a guest judge
Dancing With the Stars fans might be surprised to see Tom Bergeron return as a guest judge for season 34. Deadline reports that Bergeron, who exited the show five years ago, plans to return for the 20th anniversary special.
“It feels really good,” Bergeron said on Good Morning America. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Bergeron left the show in 2020 after the show cast Sean Spicer, a former White House Press Secretary, as a contestant. He had previously asked the producers to avoid political figures on the series. When the casting proceeded anyway, Bergeron felt betrayed. Though his contract technically ran through season 30, Bergeron says he was let go at the end of season 28 after realizing the creative direction no longer aligned with his vision.
