Dancing With the Stars fans are questioning the fairness of the competition after the show revealed its upcoming Grammy Night dance-off matchups. Some viewers believe the producers have placed Tatyana Ali and her partner, Jan Ravnik, in an especially difficult position by pairing them against one of the season’s strongest couples.

Suspicion surrounding the show’s voting process has been building throughout Season 35, with viewers repeatedly questioning whether certain contestants are receiving a fair opportunity to advance. The latest controversy erupted after the dance-off pairings were announced on Wednesday.

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, who have been among the highest-scoring competitors, are set to face Ali and Ravnik, who are currently at the bottom of the leaderboard. Both couples will perform a Cha Cha to “The Middle” by Zedd, Grey, and Maren Morris, who will sing the song live in the ballroom.

The difference in their leaderboard positions immediately caught viewers’ attention. Some accused producers of deliberately creating an uneven matchup that could put Ali and Ravnik at a disadvantage.

“Oh, they REALLY want Tatyana to go home… like wtf is this? #dwts,” one frustrated fan wrote on X.

“This s**t is more rigged than we dawg…” another commented.

“Jenna vs Tatyana is genuinely a set up. I’m sick,” a third viewer added, while another declared, “Tatyana definitely got it worse. Her against Jenna is evil.”

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson Avoid the Dance-Off

The Grammy Night challenge will feature three additional matchups. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov will compete against Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, while Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold will face Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas.

Harry Shum Jr. and his professional partner, Jenna Johnson, will not participate in the dance-offs. The pair earned the highest cumulative total score in Season 35 leading up to the challenge, securing their exemption.

However, the controversy surrounding Ali’s matchup is not the first time fans have questioned whether she has received an equal opportunity to succeed.

Earlier Team Dance Choices Added to the Controversy

During Disney on Broadway Night, Ali served as team captain under the guidance of her The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star and DWTS co-host Alfonso Ribeiro. Her group included Julia Stiles, Higgins, Glenn, and their professional partners. They performed “Zoo” from Zootopia 2.

Their opponents were led by co-host Julianne Hough and featured Frech, Dewan, Shum Jr., Wood, and their partners. The team performed “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical.

Some viewers considered the division unfair, pointing out that Hough was a former professional dancer on the show and that her team included several of the season’s strongest competitors. Dewan and Val, as well as Shum Jr. and Johnson, had both earned perfect scores for their individual routines. Shum Jr. and Johnson had also received perfect marks during the previous week’s Halloween Horror Movie Night.

The result was another flawless performance for the group, which ultimately won the team competition.

Ali subsequently faced questions online about why she had not selected one of the highest-scoring contestants for her team. In a response on Threads, she suggested that her choices had been strategic, prompting fans to speculate that she deliberately wanted to avoid working with Val, his wife, and fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson.

The speculation came amid controversy surrounding Val, who had recently returned to the ballroom after serving a one-week suspension. He had criticized judge Carrie Ann Inaba by referencing the 2022 Oscars incident in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. The remark was particularly sensitive given Ali’s connection to Smith through The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The U.S. Sun also reported exclusively that Val’s behavior had hurt Ali the most and that the resulting tension affected her during rehearsals.

With Grammy Night approaching, the dance-off against Dewan and Val could become a crucial test for Ali and Ravnik. Although fans’ accusations of producer manipulation remain unproven, the reaction highlights growing frustration among viewers over whether the competition is being judged and structured fairly.

Source: Compiled from various sources