Dancing With The Stars Season 33 welcomed back a very special person on Dedication Night. After winning Season 31 with Charli D’Amelio, Mark Ballas returned to the ballroom in a new role — a judge. Fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough felt delighted to see him.
Carrie Ann even revealed she passed him a sweet note while taping. What did it say?
Carrie Ann Inaba Shared A Meaningful Note With Mark Ballas
Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman were the original judges when DWTS first premiered in 2005. Since then, the judges’ table has seen many tweaks and changes. Len took several seasons off to focus on his health, but Carrie Ann and Bruno stayed. Derek Hough took over the third seat in Season 29. Len returned for a few more seasons before ultimately retiring at the end of Season 31. Sadly, he passed away a few months later.
The original three judges watched many of the young pro dancers grow up in the ballroom. Mark Ballas and Derek Hough trained under Len when they were children. Having both of them behind the judges’ table was truly a full-circle moment. Carrie Ann passed Mark a note during the episode to reflect that.
“Mark Ballas was a phenomenal guest judge,” Carrie Ann shared with Entertainment Weekly. “I hope he comes back again and again! I loved his demonstration of technique, and I scribbled him a little note during the show that read, ‘Len would be very proud of you.’”
“I think Mark was touched,” Carrie Ann continued. “He asked to keep the note which in turned touched me. Now, I wish I had written it with better penmanship.”
DWTS Fans Beg Mark Ballas To Be A Permanent Judge
Fans think Mark Ballas did an absolutely phenomenal job as a judge during Dedication Night. Online, many said they would love to see him be a permanent addition to the judges’ table.
And it sounds like Mark might be interested in returning.
“It was an honor to be at the judges table last night, After 20 seasons as a competitor I feel like I’ve done it all, but some how this little ballroom dancing show we all love still had a new experience up its sleeve for me,” the former DWTS pro shared on Instagram. “I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the dancing & I truly hope I gave the couples some tips to take with them as they move into the next phase of the competition.”
He went on to thank the other judges and extended Dancing With The Stars family for giving him an excellent experience.
What did you think about Mark Ballas’ presence behind the judges’ table? Would you like to see him in future episodes? Share your own thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
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