ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” cranked up the volume for Hair Metal Night with a special guest judge: Gene Simmons, the legendary KISS frontman. But while Simmons is known for rocking out on stage, his guest appearance stirred up a lot of drama—much of it not music to the ears of “DWTS” fans.
Joining regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, the 75-year-old rocker shared his takes on the performances, set to 80s classics like “Cherry Pie” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” But his critiques went off-script, leaning heavily into comments about the female dancers’ appearances, leaving fans and fellow cast members uncomfortable.
Throughout the night, Simmons’ remarks became a hot topic on social media. Viewers quickly labeled his comments as “creepy” and criticized his focus on the dancers’ looks rather than their technique. At one point, Simmons remarked to Danny Amendola and Witney Carson that he couldn’t decide which of them was “hot hot hot.”
He also complimented Reginald VelJohnson’s partner, Emma Slater, as a “beautiful woman” and commented that another contestant, Chandler Stevens, “fogged up my glasses” with her performance. These offbeat comments didn’t sit well with many, with some fans calling it the most awkward night in the show’s 33 seasons.
The tension was palpable in the ballroom, even spilling over into an exchange between Simmons and host Alfonso Ribeiro. After Simmons told Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy he was a fan of “bad boys and bad girls,” and then told Phaedra to “settle down” with a wink, Ribeiro shot back, “Oh, now you care,” a remark that drew cheers from the audience and seemed to sum up the mood in the room.
As fans tuned in to see their favorite dances, they took to social media to voice their frustration with the guest judge. User @gray_dwts lamented the evening, calling it a “CHOP” and saying, “from sweet Ilona messing up to them torturing her more during the elimination… to that whack, creepy judge Gene.” Others echoed the sentiment, like @bambiisugars who tweeted, “gene simmons made the worst guest judge on “Dancing With the Stars”…. definitely gave some entertaining tv I guess.” Another user, @sambothehambo01, went further, insisting that “ABC needs to issue an apology after having Gene Simmons on there and subjecting their cast to that.”
The episode wasn’t just about Simmons’ controversial judging style—it also saw the elimination of fan favorites Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts, adding to the night’s drama. Many fans felt that the eliminations, paired with the guest judge’s antics, made for an evening that detracted from the actual performances. @MCMiddleton highlighted the moment when Ribeiro took a jab at Simmons, tweeting, ‘”NOW you care!” Bro, Alfonso does NOT like Gene Simmons.’
Among the backlash, some viewers expressed frustration that producers didn’t step in sooner to address Simmons’ commentary. @bravoholic_ shared, “During commercial breaks, producers of #DWTS should have told Mr. Gene Simmons to stop commenting on all of the women’s looks. I’ve only seen 3 dances so far & I’m over his irrelevant remarks about the women when he is supposed to be commenting/‘judging’ their dancing!”
Despite the criticism, the show went on, but the message from fans was clear: Gene Simmons might bring rock ‘n’ roll flair, but as a “Dancing With the Stars” judge, he hit all the wrong notes. Many are now hoping that the show takes their feedback into account for future guest judges.
As one user, @niyah_oliver, put it, “The most unhinged night of “DWTS” ever… let’s maybe never have Gene Simmons back again please and thank you.” Whether or not he’ll make a return remains to be seen, but for now, it’s safe to say Simmons left a lasting—and not entirely welcome—impression on the “DWTS” ballroom.
