Derek Hough won’t tolerate guest judges criticizing the contestants on Dancing With the Stars.
During Tuesday’s “Dedication Night” episode, he took a subtle shot at guest judge Gene Simmons for his scoring in last week’s “Hair Metal Night” episode, where Simmons faced backlash for his remarks about the female contestants’ appearances, inconsistent scoring, and perceived favoritism towards those he found attractive.
One of the most contentious moments was Simmons’ score for Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy’s paso doble to “You Give Love a Bad Name.” While the other judges unanimously awarded them a seven, Simmons gave them a five, leading many fans to label it blatantly racist. Parks hinted at this sentiment in her post-show interviews, famously saying, “Simmons can kiss my peach,” and asserting they deserved better than a five. Despite Simmons’ questionable score, it was heartening to see Bravo’s Housewives Cynthia Bailey, Porsha Williams, and Karen Huger showing their support for Phaedra.
Hough seemed to share this sentiment. When it was time to judge Parks and Chmerkovskiy’s rumba to “Because You Love Me,” he started by holding up a five card, then broke it and tossed it across the ballroom, dismissing Simmons’ previous score. See photos of all the girls out supporting Phaedra inside
Porsha Williams and Cynthia Bailey
Phaedra and Porsha Williams
Phaedra and Cynthia Bailey
(Disney/Eric McCandless)
