Alfonso Riberio Hits Back at Alexa PenaVega After She Claimed 'DWTS' Is 'Rigged': 'No Chance'

Dancing With the Stars co-host Alfonso Ribeiro is hitting back at claims that the hit competition series is rigged after former contestant Alexa PenaVega recalled a backstage conversation that raised questions about the show's voting process.

During an episode of her "LEXLOS" podcast, which she co-hosts with her husband, Carlos PenaVega, Alexa reflected on a moment from Season 21 when fellow contestant Hayes Grier questioned the fairness of the competition after landing in the bottom group.

“For instance, Hayes is only 15 years old and he’s the sweetest kid," she recalled. "He’s back there with us and I just remember all of us being in the bottom and he’s like, ‘Man, I think this show’s rigged. I have more votes than anybody.'”

Ribeiro wasted no time shutting down the speculation, taking to the comments section of Alexa's video to defend the show's integrity.

“No chance. We want everyone who’s popular to stay on,” he wrote. “It’s basic logic.”

Addressing Hayes' concerns about the voting process, Alexa shared her own thoughts on how fan support may influence the competition, particularly when contestants have massive social media followings.

“I’m like, ‘I know you have more votes than anybody here because of the millions and millions of followers. 100 percent, it is so easy for them to send in a little text,’” she said.

However, Alexa suggested that audience votes might not be the only factor at play, pointing to the show's production side.

“This is what I always tell people. I think the votes matter. I do. But the show’s also produced,” she explained.

After Alfonso pushed back on the claims in the comments section, Alexa quickly responded, insisting that her remarks had been taken out of context due to the way the video was edited.

The actress encouraged the DWTS co-host to watch the full clip and podcast episode before drawing conclusions, explaining that she was simply sharing a story about Hayes rather than questioning the show's integrity.

“The clip picks up mid-story and then goes back to the top. Watch the whole clip and episode. I’m telling a story about sweet Hayes,” she replied.

Beyond the voting debate, the podcast episode touched on personal dynamics during Season 21, where both Alexa and her husband competed alongside professional partners Mark Ballas and Witney Carson, respectively.

Alexa described how friction between the professional dancers impacted their shared experience on the show.

“At the time, Witney and Mark were not getting along at all,” she revealed. “They refused to be in the same room together. It was really hard because we’re married and the whole point of doing the show was, ‘We’re gonna do this together as much as possible.’ The second we go in, boom, Mark and Witney refuse to be in a room together.”

Carlos also shared his own view on the competitive environment.

“Witney, her and I had so much fun. … I was there to win, [but] Mark was there to win,” he reflected. “He’s very creative, and he wants to do things outside the box, which requires a lot of work. Listen, I had a great work ethic with Witney [and] she put up with a lot ‘cause it was really hard, but we had a lot of fun.”