Chandler Kinney’s ‘DWTS’ partner apologizes for costing them perfect score

Even professionals make mistakes.

Tuesday night in season 33 Dancing with the stars semifinal episode, professional dancer Brandon Armstrong lifted his foot off the floor twice during his foxtrot with partner Chandler Kinney. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who is always on the lookout for those who don’t follow the rules of ballroom dancing, called the foul.

Inaba pointed to the two specific moments on the floor where Armstrong made the mistake and also noted that she had made this note to Armstrong and Kinney before. The comment sparked confusion from the duo, ultimately prompting fellow judge Derek Hough to offer Inaba his support, telling them, “You know what it is.”

This awkward moment at the judges’ table prompted Armstrong to explain his surprise response while speaking to co-host Julianne Hough in the skybox. “I want to make it clear that I’m not sorry for Carrie Ann,” he said. “I just didn’t remember her mentioning the elevators with us before. I love you, Carrie Ann!”

Inaba still loved the performance and gave the duo a score of nine. Both Hough and third judge Bruno Tonioli gave the pair a perfect 10, bringing them one point short of a perfect score of 30. “I’m sorry for your one point. I’ve cost us a point,” Armstrong said sheepishly to Kinney. which she immediately protested and offered him reassurance.

Armstrong’s response seemed to stem, in part, from the immense pressure Kinney put on herself after achieving perfect scores for both of her dances during last week’s 500th episode. During the practice video package, she noted that anything less than a perfect score would be a downgrade at this point.

But no one can be perfect every time, and the duo scored 29s in both of their semifinal dances — a salsa to Jason Derulo and Michael Buble’s “Spicy Margarita” and a foxtrot to Hozier’s “Too Sweet.”

The tension in the duo’s response to Inaba’s remarks was likely due to the fact that she has often been more demanding of Armstrong and Kinney’s performances this season, even telling them during the Halloween episode that they had one of the more difficult dances of the night while scored them lower than other participants.

“The judges push me really, really hard because they have high expectations,” Kinney shared Weekly entertainment after the Halloween show. “I understand that and I take the criticism. But tonight, it probably showed a little, I got a little frustrated because I wanted to know what I had to do. Otherwise, when I get to practice, I’m a little lost. ”

Yet, despite this, Kinney and Armstrong have consistently hovered near the top of the rankings when it comes to the judges’ scores.

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Dancing with the stars sent on Tuesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.