Dancing With the Stars Pros Address Rumors the Show's Winners Are Rigged

They’re setting the record straight! In a new interview with Us Weekly, Season 25 Dancing With the Stars pros Sharna Burgess, Mark Ballas, and Peta Murgatroyd candidly opened up about those pesky rumors that the dance competition’s winners are rigged.

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“Everybody goes out there with equal opportunity. If couple A got voted to win, legally we can’t change it to couple B. An outside company counts the votes!” Sharna, 32, told the magazine. “I think everyone is guilty of feeling that in the moment, but if the show was rigged, don’t you think they would have been busted by now? Sometimes the best dancer doesn’t win,” Mark, 31, similarly said.

Sharna, Mark, and Peta. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

“It’s a TV show. It has to have its roller coaster of ups and downs,” Peta, 31, added. “We all understand how the show runs. Let’s put it that way.” Interestingly, it was Peta’s husband, DWTS pro Maks Chmerkovskiy, that last suggested the popular reality TV rigged its winners. During Season 24 earlier this year, Maks and his celeb partner Glee star Heather Morris were shockingly eliminated during the sixth week of competition after earning the first perfect score of the season.

“Well, I mean we’ve had a few [surprising upsets] in 24 seasons of the show [but] I just never thought that one of my [partners] was going to be a part of that shock,” the 37-year-old told [Entertainment Tonight](http://www.etonline.com/news/215976heathermorrismaksimchmerkovskiyopenupabouttheirshockingdwtseliminationimpissed) at the time. “Brandy [Norwood] and I didn’t make the final [in Season 11] when I thought she was one of the best dancers that season, but [that] wasn’t as shocking as this. This is crazy.”

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“[Heather’s elimination was] so wrong, in terms of [dancing talent],” Maks continued. “I’m pissed. [But] it’s not the last time [she and I] will be doing stuff together and, you know, I’m looking forward to when that happens.” Former NFL pro Rashad Jennings and his pro partner Emma Slater were later announced the Season 24 winners of Dancing With the Stars.

Check out the gallery to see all the past DWTS winners then and now!

Kelly Monaco (Season 1 – June 2005)

Since twirling around the dance floor with partner Alec Mazo — who left the show after Season 5 — Kelly has hosted the Miss USA Pageant and starred on the E! reality series Dirty Soap. In 2012, she returned to DWTS for a chance to win a second Mirror Ball Trophy in Season 15 but finished in third.

Apolo Anton Ohno (Season 4 – March 2007)

The speedskating Olympian first danced with partner Julianne Hough in Season 4 and later partnered with Karina Smirnoff while appearing on the reality competition's "All-Star" Season 15. Since then, he has guest starred on popular TV shows including Hawaii Five-0, The Biggest Loser, and Minute to Win It.