The Behind-The-Scenes Dancing With The Stars Secret Producers Didn't Want You To Know
"Dancing with the Stars" is the seemingly unstoppable reality competition show that began all the way back in 2005 (via IMDb) and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down any time soon. Even a global health crisis couldn't stop the show in its spangled path, with showrunner Andrew Llinares telling Deadline, "The challenge for us is that we still want to do what we normally do on the show and bring it back better than ever and evolve it but now we have this whole additional prism to look at it through."
ABC alternative chief and SVP Rob Mills even compared "DWTS" to a massive sporting event, emphasizing the seriousness of the long-running dancing contest for both its famous contestants and the various professional dancers — Derek Hough and Cheryl Burke, both now celebs in their own right, too, among them — who use the show as a platform for their impressive skills.
Clearly, a lot goes into bringing the thing to the stage but, behind the scenes, there's plenty of tinkering around just like any other reality show.
Former contestant Wendy Williams fought back against producer interference
"DWTS" might seem like the kind of show that doesn't need to manufacture drama, considering the premise surrounds non-professional dancers taking on exceptionally difficult routines in front of ruthlessly tough judges and baying fans. But, according to former contestant Wendy Williams, producers are so concerned there won't be enough of a storyline that they manufacture their own. The legendary talk show host opened up about her experience during Season 12 of the hit show on Today, revealing, "When they put you in the room and you have to talk to the camera about your experience... I was letting people know that they script what you say."
Williams has never been one to mince her words, so it seems strange that producers felt she needed help in the first place. Speaking out on her own talk show, the TV star divulged she had trouble following the script as it was laid out since, typically, the lines didn't fit with how Williams was feeling on the day. More often than not, she'd simply address the camera and refuse to play along. Moreover, Williams even suggested that if she'd offered "a little bit more sassafras," perhaps she might not have been eliminated in the second week, admitting, "Because that's how they were writing my script, to be Angry Black Woman."