Every season of Dancing With the Stars eventually reaches a moment where fan favorites are eliminated, prompting widespread calls on social media to reinstate the Judges' Save. However, current judge and former professional Derek Hough has made it clear he is not in favor of bringing the feature back. Speaking to Extra, Hough stated his relief that the mechanic is gone, emphasizing that he does not want the responsibility of deciding who stays or goes.
Hough explained that the shock of an unexpected elimination is a vital part of the show's drama. He noted that being the one to tell a contestant they are leaving home is a burden he prefers to avoid, asserting that the decision should ultimately belong to the viewers at home. This stance contrasts with the perspective of guest judge Shirley Ballas, who defended the utility of the save based on her experience with the UK version, Strictly Come Dancing.
Ballas argued that the Judges' Save allows experts to protect top-tier dancers from being eliminated prematurely by audience votes, ensuring a stronger final lineup. She suggested that without this safety net, shows risk sending away skilled performers and ending up with a different type of finale. Despite these arguments, the feature was removed from Dancing With the Stars after running from season 28 through season 32.
Executive producer Deena Katz previously told TV Line that the decision to eliminate the save was made because it diminished the impact of fan votes. Katz emphasized that the show should be about America's choice, noting that the Judges' Save sometimes contradicted what the public wanted. The current format relies on a combination of judges' scores and audience voting to determine eliminations without an override mechanism.
Sources: Cosmopolitan.