It’s not just the competition that is heating up on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, as allegations of backstage drama between dancers continue to tarnish the beloved ABC competition series.
And after former Mirrorball winner and DWTS veteran Maks Chmerkovskiy, 45, had to apologize for criticizing the show’s new pro, Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik – who he accused of having ‘zero foundation technique’ in ballroom dancing – it seems tensions aren’t easing any time soon.
And that’s even after the fact Tuesday’s Halloween-themed episode ended with Jan, 30, and his Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star partner Jen Affleck, 26, being sent home after receiving the lowest combined scores from the judge and viewer votes.
Now, one DWTS insider has exclusively told the Daily Mail that cast members are putting on a ‘united front for cameras’ as they weather the storm.
It’s not just the competition that is heating up on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars , as allegations of backstage drama between dancers continue to tarnish the beloved ABC competition series
And after former Mirrorball winner Maks Chmerkovskiy had to apologize for criticizing his fellow pro, Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik (pictured), it seems tensions aren’t easing any time soon
After all, Ravnik is not going quietly.
Speaking out after his elimination, the hunky dancer who enchanted Swifties at the Eras Tour addressed those he felt were ‘trying to stay relevant’ by pointedly saying he had ‘no comment’ – only that he ‘never will spread or take the hate.’
So Ravnik won’t like to hear that our show insider suggests other cast members ‘might agree’ with Chmerkovskiy’s comments about perceived his inexperience.
‘[The dancers] don’t want to jeopardize their own career [by saying they agree with Maks],’ the source said, before adding that, ‘Jan’s been friendly with everyone and the dancers think he’s been a great addition to the show.’
As for how producers feel about the whole debacle, our insider shared that DWTS executives ‘couldn’t care less’ about Chmerkovskiy’s podcast stunt.
That said, our insider expects punishment to be forthcoming: It’s likely that Chmerkovskiy won’t be ‘welcomed back as a guest judge or dancer… now that he trashed Jan,’ they added.
Speaking out after his elimination, the hunky dancer who enchanted Swifties at the Eras Tour addressed those he felt were ‘trying to stay relevant’ by pointedly saying he had ‘no comment’
Pictured left in May 2024: Jan, who previously served as a backup dancer to Taylor Swift, has ‘zero foundation technique, quality’ or ‘understanding of the partnership,’ according to Maks
A second insider, however, maintains that Chmerkovskiy was simply ‘critiquing’ Ravnik’s ballroom skills and ‘he did not slam his character.’
‘He just said he was not a ballroom dancer,’ the second source told the Daily Mail.
‘Producers did not give [Ravnik] a quick step this season and I don’t think that’s an accident. They play to the dancers’ strengths.’
One of the biggest complaints from fans has been the ‘harsh’ scoring from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli this season, saying their scores have been ‘all over the place’.
With the season well underway, fans are already predicting which contestants will make it to the final round of the competition.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas have been early front-runners throughout the competition, while wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his partner Whitney Carson have won the hearts of viewers.
Meanwhile, Alix Earle and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy (Maks’s younger brother) were at the top of the leaderboard on Halloween night this week, scoring a 39 out of 40 points from the judges.
The first insider agreed it is the job of a producer to ‘certainly have a handle on what’s going to happen’ throughout the show, including who the final three contestants in the competition will be.
A second source told the Daily Mail that the judges’ scoring has been ‘all over the place’ this season
Pictured, from left: Season 34 judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli
‘After years of working on the show, you can predict what the audience likes and who they will vote for,’ the insider said, adding that front-runners Earle, Irwin and Leavitt are likely to advance to the finale.
Following Tuesday’s elimination on Ravnik, the remaining cast of stars also now includes Jordan Chiles, Danielle Fishel, Elaine Hendrix, Andy Richter and Dylan Efron.
Hendrix, 54, left viewers shocked this week after it was revealed she had been hospitalized and would not be able to perform live on Tuesday evening. The Parent Trap star had suffered a rib injury during rehearsals. She has been cleared by doctors to return to screens next week.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for ABC for comment.
