Carrie Ann Inaba earned zero points for this controversial take.
Just before Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson were crowned the season 33 winners of Dancing With the Stars, the judge shared her honest opinion about the duo’s final performance—earning backlash from the audience.
In a clip shared to X, Inaba told the competitors that their dance—a freestyle tennis-themed routine to Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat”—at the Nov. 26 finale was “underwhelming.”
As she noted among enthusiastic boos from the audience, “I was expecting something, and a freestyle can make or break somebody.”
The general audience wasn’t the only group not pleased with Inaba’s take. After all, Derek Hough wore a shocked expression as Inaba delivered her critique. Meanwhile, Graziadei kept it cool by curling his lip into a frown and nodding as he turned to look over at Johnson.
Graziadei’s inner circle had his back, as his fiancé Kelsey Anderson—who won his season of The Bachelor—not only booed upon hearing Inaba’s review, but also gave the camera a thumbs down.
Despite Inaba’s take, the duo ended up taking the lead during the final voting process, besting competitors Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold, Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong and Danny Amendola and Witney Carson.
“We had goals coming in just to be here and to enjoy it,” Graziadei, alongside Johnson, gushed to E! News after winning the Mirrorball. “To have the ability to be through the whole process, to actually have a championship. To have a Mirrorball in our hands feels amazing.”
And the runners-up, Maher and Bersten, also expressed gratitude to the fans who voted for them on social media.
“You voting are the reason we got to 2nd place,” the duo wrote in a joint Instagram post Nov. 26. “Of course, it’s no first but honestly we won in many other ways. So lucky to have been partnered together and share this amazing journey. We will remember this forever.”
Graziadei may bested the group, keep reading for every star who vied for this season’s trophy.
Anna Delvey
The inspriation behind Inventing Anna traded her ankle bracelet for dancing shoes alongside partner Ezra Sosa. However, the fake heiress was eliminated during the season's Sept. 24 episode, with her saying that she learned "nothing" in her now-infamous, one-word farewell speech.
Ilona Maher
The Olympic rugby player was ready to ruck up the dance floor with pro Alan Bersten, finishing as the runner-up.
Chandler Kinney
The Disney Channel star tried to dance her way to the top with partner Brandon Armstrong and ultimately placed third.
Brooks Nader
The model and her partner Gleb Savchenko were ready to strut along the ballroom, but took their final bow on Oct. 15.
Reginald VelJohnson
All that mattered for the Family Matters alum and partner Emma Slater was taking home the Mirrorball Trophy. However, their journey was cut short during the second week of competition on Oct. 8.
Eric Roberts
The Dark Knight star was partnered with Britt Stewart. They were eliminated in the second week alongside Reginald and Emma.
Joey Graziadei
The Bachelor alum has found his rose between thorns in partner Jenna Johnson, winning season 33.
Tori Spelling
The alum of Beverly Hills, 90210 was oh so ready to dance alongside Pasha Pashkov. Unfortunately, the two last only one week and was cut from competition in a double elimination alongside Anna and Ezra.
Danny Amendola
The NFL pro and partner Witney Carson sure scored a touchdown on the dance floor, placing fifth in the finale.
Dwight Howard
The NBA star hoped to stand head and shoulders above the competition with partner Daniella Karagach, but was eliminated from the competition on Nov. 12.
Stephen Nedoroscik
The Olympian had his sights set on another medal—or should we say, Mirrorball Trophy—with partner Rylee Arnold, placing fourth in the Nov. 26 finale.
Phaedra Parks
The Traitors alum was sure to weed out the competition with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, but ended up getting cut from the lineup Oct. 22.
Jenn Tran
Though Bachelorette star and partner Sasha Farber were full bloom in the ballroom, they were eliminated from the competition on Oct. 29.