Talent vs. Popularity On DWTS: Lauren Jauregui’s Elimination Has Fans Calling The Show Rigged

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Alix Earle is proving herself on the dance floor, but Lauren Jauregui’s TikTok night exit is the latest reminder that Dancing With the Stars runs on chaos, not just talent.

I’ve been watching DWTS since I was a kid. My mom and I would tune in every week, all the way back then when it was on Monday nights, ready for surprising dances and dramatic eliminations. Even back then, it had me screaming at the TV because the best dancer doesn’t always win.

That’s just how DWTS works. The judges give their scores, fans vote from their couches and the results don’t always reflect skill. Sometimes the strongest dancer gets sent home too soon, while a crowd favorite who needs more practice sticks around week after week.

When popularity took the trophy

Over the years, there have been some wild eliminations and even wilder winners that prove just how much fan votes matter. Here are just a few of them:

• Bristol Palin (Season 11) somehow made it all the way to the finals, even though she was consistently given low scores from the judges. She was outlasting stars who were clearly stronger dancers.

• Zendaya (Season 16) was arguably one of the most talented dancers in the history of the show, but lost to Kellie Pickler. Maybe I’m a little biased when it comes to her (SHE IS MY FAVORITE CELEBRITY), but I think she was robbed of first place.

• Bobby Bones (Season 27) actually won the Mirrorball Trophy despite being totally slandered by the judges almost every week. I personally did find him fun to watch, but he definitely was not the most technical dancer.

Moments like these are what keep DWTS so unpredictable. Fans get invested and Twitter blows up with “robbed” claims. The cycle repeats every season.

Why this season feels different with alix earle

When I saw Alix Earle was cast for this season, I can admit it, I rolled my eyes. She’s one of the biggest influencers, and I assumed her huge social media following would just carry her to the finals, no matter how she danced. I figured she would coast while someone with more skill would get unfairly cut.

But after just a couple of episodes, I’ve changed my mind. Alix has been throwing herself into rehearsals, showing up with energy and showing improvement on the dance floor. She’s been pushing through and even managed to sneak in one of her classic “clubbing tricks” into her jive routine without it looking out of place. She’s not perfect, but she’s not phoning it in either, and I think that’s what makes her fun to root for! I also have been in love with Val (her pro dance partner) since I was eight!

Tiktok Night’s shocker: Lauren Jauregui goes home

If you tuned in on Sept. 30th for TikTok night, you know exactly what I mean about DWTS being chaotic. Lauren Jauregui was eliminated. Her elimination had the ballroom shocked. Even comedian Andy Ritcher and his pro partner Emma Slater looked stunned because they thought they were the ones about to get the boot, not Lauren. While plenty of fans were outraged online, flooding TikTok and Twitter with “robbed” posts, others argued her exit wasn’t that surprising. Some viewers felt Lauren came into the competition a little too confident and didn’t always connect with the audience the way other contestants did. Still, getting cut after delivering a solid routine, especially compared to some of the other couples’ performances, and her own blunt reaction summed up what a lot of people were feeling in the moment.

Why we still get heated about the results

Even with contestants with Alix making a strong case, the talent vs popularity debate never really goes away. Every time someone with lower scores stays while a better dancer gets eliminated, the fandom loses it. Lauren’s exit is just the latest in a long line of being stars getting “robbed”.

Part of why DWTS hits so hard for me is the nostalgia. I grew up on what I think is the golden era of the show: Cheryl Burke teaching celebs to cha-cha, Julianna Hough making every routine look effortless, Tom Bergeron cracking dad jokes between numbers and, of course, hearing Len Goodman’s notes on the dances.

I remember sitting on the couch waiting for my favorite stars like Sabrina Bryan (Cheetah Girls), Zendaya, Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock), or Normani (Fifth Harmony) only to be eliminated way too early. Those moments stick with you because they felt shocking and unfair and they made you want to keep watching.