So, Bobby Bones just dropped a little behind-the-scenes bombshell about his big “Dancing With the Stars” win back in 2018 — and let’s just say, it’s raising more than a few eyebrows. On a recent episode of Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast, Bones opened up about the real reason he thinks he snagged that mirrorball trophy, and yep, it involves bending a few rules.
Now, to be clear, he’s not talking about bribery or hidden judges’ scores. What Bobby did was… outwork everybody else. Sort of. See, the show limits rehearsal time with your pro partner to about four hours a day. But Bobby?
He took those four hours, recorded the sessions, then “rented his own dance studio” and practiced solo, off the books. Not exactly illegal in a criminal sense, but definitely a DWTS no-no. His words: “I cheated in the way of… spent time over.”
Let’s not forget the guy was juggling a full-blown career while moonlighting as a ballroom dancer. He was waking up at 3 a.m. for his radio show, flying out for stand-up gigs on weekends, and somehow stuffing in dance rehearsals between it all. The man was living on fumes and ambition.
But the thing that really made his win a headline-maker? He wasn’t technically the best dancer. Judges gave him sixes, sevens, a few eights — respectable, sure, but nothing compared to some of the more polished performers. Yet, week after week, he survived eliminations. And fans were not quiet about it.
Bones didn’t shy away from the controversy. In fact, he leaned into it. “People like traditional dancers,” he said. “You ain’t gonna like me because I have no idea what I’m doing.” And yet, viewers at home — the so-called “non-vocal majority” — kept voting for him. According to producers, Bobby had the “largest voting margin in the show’s history”. One exec even joked that he could’ve “peed on stage” during the finale and still won.
And the fallout? DWTS changed the entire voting system. From implementing real-time East Coast voting to giving judges a save option, the show clearly didn’t want another Bobby Bones scenario. “They didn’t ever want me to happen again,” he said bluntly.
Still, no regrets from Bones. He credits Sharna Burgess as the best pro on the show and looks back on the experience fondly, despite the backlash.
Meanwhile, runner-up Milo Manheim seems to have found peace too, calling second place a “blessing in disguise.”
So, did Bobby Bones “cheat”? Maybe. But more than anything, he out-hustled, outworked, and outlasted — and maybe that’s what really won him the trophy.
