‘I'm The Greatest Champion’: Bobby Bones Responds To Julianne Hough's Disagreement With His DWTS Win

Bobby Bones is making headlines again, this time in response to Julianne Hough's candid comments about his 2018 Dancing with the Stars victory. Here's everything you need to know.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Updated on Aug 20, 2024 | 01:40 PM IST | 422.5K

Bobby Bones and Julianne Hough (via Instagram/ Bobby Bones and Julianne Hough)

Bobby Bones, the 2018 winner of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), is speaking out after Julianne Hough openly disagreed with his victory on the show. On August 18, during an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Hough made headlines by answering a viewer's question about her least favorite DWTS winner.

Country singer Mickey Guyton, who was also a guest on the show, mentioned Bones' name, which caused Hough to pause before agreeing. "I actually agree with you and I think it's because of the fan base. It’s all about fan base on that show. He was not the best dancer,” Hough stated.

In a video posted to Instagram on August 19, Bones responded to Hough's comments with a mix of humor and pride. He admitted he wasn't the best dancer and expressed admiration for Hough, whom he'd met a couple of times.

Bones appeared to take the criticism in stride, praising Hough's diplomatic response. However, he did take a lighthearted jab at Mickey Guyton for bringing up his name during the discussion.

"I was the worst dancer. I take pride in that," Bones admitted. "Now, I tried as hard as anybody in the history of the show, but I can't dance now, couldn't dance then." Despite this, Bones stated that his victory was about more than just his dancing skills.

"But you know who took down the big evil empire of dance? Well, it's not evil or an empire, but me and you! We did it together," he said, referring to the supporters who voted him into victory. "I'm the greatest champion ever. I didn't say I was the greatest dancer, but the greatest champion ever. I'm the man of the people. I'm the man that you guys selected."

Bones talked about the impact of his victory on the show's rules. "I'm a terrible dancer. I was a terrible dancer, but they changed the rules after I left because the fan vote was so good," he said, referring to changes made by DWTS after his season to better balance fan votes and judges' scores.

Despite receiving low scores from the judges throughout his time on the show, Bones shared the mirrorball trophy with professional dancer Sharna Burgess.

His victory was primarily due to the overwhelming support he received from his fan base. Milo Manheim, Evanna Lynch, and Alexis Ren were all strong competitors, finishing second, third, and fourth, respectively.

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