Dating Rumor: Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey
Apart from their dancing skills, Drew and Cheryl were known for their affair during the show. Their hot and steamy affair is one of the top scandals on the list. In season two of "Dancing With The Stars", Cheryly and Drew were rumored not only heating the dancing floor but burning up the sheets as well. The dancing pair denied their dating rumors, Burke said it was absurd but they both made many tabloid headlines as well.
Voting Controversy: James Maslow
One of the facts that makes the reality show thrilling is the responses of audiences and their vote bank. Due to social media dominance, they decided to add Facebook voting. Moreover, when the fans voted for James and Peta, his partner, their fans automatically got a message saying that the couple would eventually win season 18. The showrunners and ABC network assured the fans that their votes were counted correctly. But the fans of the coup were mad when Maslow and Murgatroyd were eliminated in the 4th place and suspected the conspiracy.
Votes Favor: Jerry Springer
Though Jerry Springer is a widely known talk show host with a huge fan following, in the show the judges were less impressed with their dancing skills. Springer and Johnson managed to outlast five pairs in season three despite their lowest score each week. The couple dogged the elimination due to an on-air campaign on the Opie and Anthony radio show, the host of the show urged voters to support Jerry and Kym. people were arguing that their outside support had given them an unfair advantage.
Weathered A storm Of Controversy: Chef Paula Deen
Chef Paula Deen was under the storm of her racism scandal that followed her to the stage of "Dancing With The Stars". She was dropped from the Food Network after two years for admitting the use of racial slurs and for other controversial statements. Paula tried to overcome this controversy with dance partner Louis van Amstel. This didn't change anything and added more fuel to it as she struggled to remember her routines and the fans were not supportive of the couple, she stayed disgraced throughout the show.
Conservatives Reaction: Chaz Bono
"Dancing With The Stars" received a huge reaction from the audiences when the show selected Chaz Bono for season 13. The conservative viewers of the show boycotted the show and they were furious for having a transgender man as one of the stars of the show. Luckily, Chaz did not influence himself and delivered stellar performances with the dance partner Lacey Schwimmer. Season 13 of the show was viewed by over eighteen million people and in return Chaz Bono received many accolades for representing the LGBTQ community.
Many Alleged Affair: Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Chmerkovskiy was famous both on and off the show. Many scandals have been linked with many scandals, throughout the years he has been linked to Jennifer Lopez and Kate Upton. He romanced several female contestants on the show, the female contestants including Erin Andrews, Meryl Davis, Willa Ford, and Peta Murgatroyd. Peta was involved with a contestant on the show Damian Whitehead before she got engaged to Maks.
Political Influence: Bristol Palin
Sometimes political influence drives controversies in the show. The political influence played its role in season eleven of the show, when a daughter Bristol Palin of former Alaskan governor and 2008 US VP candidate Sarah Palin, despite her lowest score remained in the show each week. Moreover, Bristol and her dance partner Mark Ballas gained third place in the season, beating Maksim and his partner Brandy the R&B singer, and they received much higher weekly scores compared to them. The audience thought the political reasons influenced the show and tempered with votes of viewers to ensure Plain's stay on the show but no irregularities in voting were proven.
Accusation: Previous Dancing Experience
All the participants in the show have no dancing experience and with the concept of stars learning how to dance from the blunders, missteps, probs, and all. However, when one participant seems to have an edge over the others, it causes a stir in the show. Alfonso was accused of giving his Broadway performance experience but he disagreed with the accusation and said it was not the same type of dance and had to take any dance classes either. But it was hard to believe that the winner of season 18 was the one who was responsible for "The Carlton."