NEWSBobby Bones Admits He 'Cheated' His Way to 'DWTS' Victory: Shocking Confession Revealed!
Bobby Bones claimed he 'cheated' to win 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 27.
Sept. 20 2025, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Bobby Bones may have been doing more than just quick-stepping his way to a mirrorball trophy.
The radio host said he "cheated" during his controversial Season 27 win on Dancing With the Stars.
In a candid interview on Jason Tartick's "Trading Secrets" podcast, Bones revealed he would often train himself outside of the four-hour rule prescribed for contestants, claiming he was "far behind."
Bobby Bones shared tidbits about his life in a new interview.
"I cheated, in the way of, they give you a limited amount of time with your partner. Like, four hours a day, they say," he explained.
The 45-year-old radio host then added, "So we would do our four, I would record the session and then go by myself and rent a studio myself and train myself. Like, illegally spent time over…because I was so far behind everybody else."
Bobby Bones said he trained outside the four-hour 'DWTS' rule to catch up to the other contestants.
Despite being a self-described "fish out of water," Bobby captured the crown in 2018 alongside pro partner Sharna Burgess, leaving many in disbelief. Throughout the competition, Bones struggled with lower scores compared to the other finalists — Milo Manheim, Evanna Lynch and Alexis Ren — yet his success ultimately came from an overwhelming outpouring of viewer votes.
"I wasn't in any way polarizing on the show, other than I sucked," Bones admitted, reflecting on his performance. "I tried as hard as I could and I got sevens, a couple sixes. A couple eights."
Bobby Bones won 'DWTS' with Sharna Burgess despite their low scores.
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Looking back, Bones recognized that winning sparked backlash from a "small section of hardcore fans," who felt betrayed by his success. "The fact that I was winning made it difficult on people who had always watched the show. … I was anxious as c--- every week, nervous," he confessed.
The criticism didn't stop there — even former DWTS pro and judge Julianne Hough weighed in, stating Bones shouldn't have won because he's "not the best dancer."
Bobby Bones called himself 'the greatest champion ever' despite criticism.
Bones clapped back on social media, declaring himself the "greatest champion." "I was the worst dancer. I take pride in that," he stated in an Instagram video. "Now I tried as hard as anybody in the history of the show but I can't dance now [and] couldn't dance then."
He further emphasized, "We did it together. I'm the greatest champion ever. I didn't say I was the greatest dancer, but the greatest champion ever because I'm the man of the people. I'm the man that you guys selected."
'Dancing With the Stars' voting rules changed after Bobby Bones' 2018 win.
Following his win, the DWTS producers altered the voting rules for the subsequent season, where viewers could only vote during live broadcasts. They were also barred from voting on the first episode of each season.
"I'm a terrible dancer, I was a terrible dancer," Bones reiterated. "But they changed the rules after I left because the fan vote was so good."
Despite the backlash, Bones expressed his fondness for his DWTS experience. "I have friends that go on [DWTS] occasionally," he said. "And I have friends that are still dancers on the show, the pros. Sharna was excellent. She was really hard, but I needed that."
