Dancing with the Stars fans are furious over Tatyana Ali‘s upcoming dance-off against Jenna Dewan, with some accusing producers of setting her up to fail.
Tatyana and professional partner Jan Ravnik will face Jenna and Val Chmerkovskiy during the November 10 episode. Both couples will perform a cha-cha to ‘The Middle’ by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey.
The matchup has raised eyebrows because Tatyana has been near the bottom of the leaderboard, while Jenna has consistently earned stronger scores and has professional dance experience.
Some fans believe the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress should have faced someone closer to her position in the competition.
Why are DWTS fans upset about Tatyana Ali’s dance-off?
Fans began questioning the matchup after the dance-off pairings were announced on November 4.
One viewer wrote on X: “Oh they really want Tatyana to go home. WTF is this?”
Another questioned the scoring gap, writing: “From the available pairs, Jenna has the highest scores and Tatyana has the lowest scores; how does this make sense?”
Several viewers suggested different pairings, including matching Jenna against Amber Glenn and Tatyana against Connor Wood.
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism.
One fan pushed back, arguing: “You all would’ve literally complained about anyone going up against Jenna; let’s be real.”
Jenna’s previous dance experience has been a talking point throughout Season 35. Before starring in Step Up, she worked as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson.
However, Jenna previously told ABC News that ballroom dancing was a different challenge, despite her professional background.
“It’s totally different,” she explained, adding that learning the new technique involved unlearning some of her previous habits.
While fans have questioned the matchup, there is no evidence that producers deliberately arranged it to eliminate Tatyana.
How will the DWTS dance-offs affect the next elimination?
According to ABC’s official announcement, the three dance-offs will give contestants another opportunity to earn points before the next elimination.
The judges will choose a winner from each head-to-head performance, with bonus points added to their scores. Those points could be crucial for Tatyana as she fights to avoid elimination.
Amber and Pasha Pashkov will compete against Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach in a rumba to ‘The Boy Is Mine’.
Meanwhile, Connor and Rylee Arnold will face Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas in a cha-cha to ‘All I Wanna Do’.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson will skip the dance-offs after earning immunity from that round based on their scores. They will also receive bonus points.
Tatyana and Jenna will still perform their individual routines before going head-to-head.
Dancing with the Stars Season 35 continues with Grammy Night on November 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
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