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Carrie Ann Inaba raises eyebrows with baffling incest comment on ‘DWTS’ Grammy Night
Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba drew an awkward reaction after describing a dance as “turning your sister into your lover”. She was commenting on Paralympian Ezra Frech and professional dancer Daniella Karagach’s Argentine tango, despite the pair having described their relationship as like brother and sister.
Inaba called it the pair’s hardest dance so far and referred to its intimacy; Frech laughed, while Karagach cringed. Co-host Alfonso Ribeiro and judge Derek Hough also said the remark was awkward, and viewers criticised it online. Frech and Karagach scored 27 out of 30 and advanced to the semifinals; Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy were eliminated.
In short
- Inaba’s incest-related analogy prompted awkward reactions.
- Frech and Karagach scored 27 out of 30.
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy were eliminated.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Inaba may have been reaching for a vivid way to describe the tango’s dramatic intimacy and the challenge of performing romantic choreography with a partner they regard as family-like. In a live judging moment, an ill-judged metaphor can come out awkwardly without reflecting a literal or deliberate suggestion about the pair.
The case against
The remark was understandably uncomfortable because it explicitly framed a sibling-like relationship as romantic, even though the dancers had described themselves as like brother and sister. As a judge speaking about identifiable performers, Inaba could have described the dance’s intimacy without invoking incest, and the dancers’ and co-hosts’ reactions suggest the wording landed poorly.
Explained simply
Dancing With the Stars is a US television competition in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers and perform different styles of dance. A panel of judges scores each routine, while viewers also vote; contestants with the lowest overall support can be eliminated.
Carrie Ann Inaba is one of the programme’s judges. Argentine tango is a close-partner dance, and its dramatic style can involve intimate-looking movements, which can make the dancers’ connection part of the performance.