Dancing with the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro recently responded to a former contestant who questioned whether the reality competition show is rigged.
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A Former "Dancing with the Stars" Contestant Suggested the Winner Is Already Chosen
Alexa PenaVega and her husband, Carlos, recently discussed their experience on the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars during an episode of their podcast, LexLos.
In a TikTok clip, the Spy Kids actress recalled a conversation she had with fellow contestant Hayes Grier, who was just 15 when he appeared on the show.
"I think this show is rigged," Alexa recalled Grier saying. He believed that because of his social media followers, he was receiving more votes than the other contestants. The 38-year-old Alexa agreed with him.
"I think the votes matter. I do, but the show is also produced," she explained on the podcast.
She then added that the judges' scores and input from the producers also factor into the competition. She also suggested that producers think about the storylines they want to tell the audience, using her season's winner, Bindi Irwin, as an example.
"Bindi's story, it's top-notch. How do you beat that?" said Alexa.
How Did Alfonso Ribeiro Respond?
The 55-year-old Ribeiro weighed in on Alexa's remarks in the comment section of the clip.
"No chance," he wrote. "We want everyone who's popular to stay on. It's basic logic."
Carlos and Alexa responded to Ribeiro's comments through their joint TikTok account. They said the clip did not capture the full context of the discussion.
"The clip picks up mid story and then goes back to the top," they wrote. "Watch the whole clip and episode. I'm telling a story about sweet Hayes."
Elsewhere in the episode, Carlos, who is a member of the band Big Time Rush, said he was grateful he and Alexa competed on the show together. He said he didn't think he could have endured the experience without her.
Alexa then joked, "You couldn't handle it, and we did do it together."
