Bobby Bones Says Social Media May Be the Secret Behind His Controversial ‘DWTS’ Victory

Bobby Bones has finally offered his theory on how he managed to walk away with the Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars Season 27 despite repeatedly finding himself at the centre of debate over his dancing.

Seven years after his 2018 victory with professional partner Sharna Burgess, Bones says the rise of social media played a major role in his success. According to the radio personality, his ability to connect with fans online while continuing to work on his radio show gave him a voting advantage that traditional ballroom expectations could not easily stop.

Bobby Bones Says He Understood the Power of the Vote

Bones explained that his season was among the first DWTS seasons fully entering the social-media era. He said he was extremely active online and deliberately used social media to connect with viewers, while continuing his radio work during the competition.

He also said he eventually realised that fan votes mattered far more than he had initially understood. While judges’ scores had a maximum, Bones argued that there was effectively no ceiling on how many votes a contestant could generate from supporters. In his view, that difference helped transform his popularity into a Mirrorball victory.

Bobby Bones Says He Wasn’t Trying to Pretend He Was a Great Dancer

Bones has never claimed that his dancing was technically superior. In fact, he has repeatedly acknowledged that he entered the competition with little or no formal dance experience and received lower judges’ scores than some of his fellow finalists.

Instead, he said he focused on working extremely hard, showing viewers his progress and being vulnerable about his struggles. He believed audiences responded to seeing someone who openly admitted he was learning while continuing to put in the work.

And that is where the DWTS plot thickened. The ballroom may have been judging the dance, but Bones believes the audience was also judging the journey — and apparently, his journey had enough followers to keep the voting numbers dancing.

Bobby Bones Still Faces Debate Over His Mirrorball Win

Bones’ victory remains one of the most debated results in DWTS history. His judges’ scores were lower than those of several competitors, but viewers ultimately voted him the winner. His win later contributed to changes in the show’s voting and elimination format, including the introduction of the Judges’ Save in Season 28.

Bones now says he believes the experience demonstrated just how powerful audience support could be. Whether viewers see his victory as a triumph of popularity, perseverance or the show’s voting system, the Mirrorball is still sitting firmly in his collection.

Years later, Bobby Bones has essentially returned to the ballroom with one message: the judges may control the scores, but when the audience controls the votes, anything can happen.

And judging by the fact that people are still debating his Season 27 victory in 2026, Bones may have won something even bigger than a Mirrorball — permanent DWTS controversy.