Heavy/Getty Ashly Costa talked back to the judges.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Ashly Costa (nee DelGrosso) recently spoke about her experience on the show.
On the June 24 episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, Costa discussed a particular on-camera incident. After getting feedback from the judges during a live show, Costa talked back to them.
“I was the first time a pro actually talked back to the judges,” Costa told Burke on the pod.
“I was so upset because when I think with Bruno or could have been Carrie Anne being like, well, you’re not allowed to break handhold in this. And I said, ‘excuse me, this was also an American Foxtrot,'” she explained.
Despite being correct in her argument, Costa was told by producers not to talk back to the judges. “I remember getting off the stage and I think it was Matilda who came up, one of the producers, and they said, you’re not allowed to talk back to the judges,” she recalled.
Ashly Costa Held Her Ground & Discussed the Incident With a Producer
Costa pleaded her case to production.
“So I said, well, ‘then they really do need to know how to judge us and actually know it.’ And then that was it. She didn’t question me after that,” Costa said of the producer who spoke with her after the incident.
Meanwhile, former pro Burke weighed in as well.
“I think it was a good thing, and I wish they would do this more, and now they encourage it. But like, okay, so there’s a difference, right? There’s someone, like, I’ve seen a couple of pros that just talk back because they’re just, they’re upset, right? Like, they’re mad, and there’s no real reason other than, okay, it was a negative comment. Oh, well, like, that’s fine. But then it’s one thing to say to you, like, ‘I want more hold,’ ballroom hold, when that’s not the rules. Then there is a place and a time, and the audience were cheering you on when you talked back, and so was I,” she added.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy Has Talked Back to the Judges
Back in 2011, then-pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy talked back to the judges following their criticisms.
On season 13, Chmerkovskiy danced with Hope Solo. After one particular performance, Len Goodman told Solo that it was her worst dance to date.
“The last time I apologized was to my grandma when she was dying with cancer,” the pro said on “Good Morning America” following a live show. “I definitely have nothing to apologize to Len. Certainly not to Carrie Ann. She can make all those faces she wants,” he continued.
Chmerkovskiy explained that while he loved the show, he had a right to speak his mind.
“The whole idea that came out behind [me saying it was] my show, I feel like it’s my family, my home,” Chmerkovskiy said. “One thing I’m not going to embrace is pointing fingers and disrespectful remarks. Why are judges allowed to compare us to animals and point their fingers and we can’t say we’re work and show our opinion?” he added.
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