Radio and TV personality Bobby Bones is ecstatic to have been reunited with his Mirrorball Trophy, the coveted prize he won for winning Season 27 of “Dancing With the Stars.” He made the unusual decision to give it back after feeling hurt by a comment from former host Tom Bergeron. The two have since hashed it out, and after expressing regret over giving up his trophy, he now has it back in his possession.
On August 6, Bobby Bones took to social media to share that he has his Mirrorball Trophy back, captioning the photo, “Look what just came in the mail.” The radio host won the coveted award in 2018 after besting the other contestants in “Dancing With the Stars” Season 27.
Bones’ win is arguably the most controversial in the competition show’s history, as many thought he wasn’t the best dancer. Years later, he also jokingly said he “cheated” to win.
In 2025, Bones mailed back the trophy after getting hurt over something former “DWTS” host Tom Bergeron said during an interview. In late May, he expressed regret about sending it back, and now he has it.
His fans are showing their support, with many pointing out that he earned the right to have the trophy. “I’m glad you got it back. You worked SO HARD for that, you deserve it!!!” one fan commented.
In November 2025, Bones revealed in a TikTok video that he mailed his Mirrorball Trophy back to ABC.
The move came after he saw Bergeron’s interview with Parade, in which he was asked about which elimination surprised him the most. Instead of answering the question, the former “DWTS” host revealed which winner came as a surprise to him: Bobby Bones. “Bobby Bones was the first time I kind of… It was like ouch.”
Bones said it wasn’t so much about the comment as who said it, adding that he liked and admired Bergeron. “I try not to get my feelings hurt, especially about stuff like this, but this was hurtful,” he said.
Bones defended himself, saying that he didn’t even want to be in the show but was asked to do it to promote another project, which he agreed to, and he gave it his full effort. However, after hearing comments, not only from Bergeron, he felt “DWTS” didn’t like him, and he returned the trophy.
Bobby Bones And Tom Bergeron Cleared The Air
In March, Bergeron joined Bones on “The BobbyCast” where they talked about the comments he made.
Bones shared that despite his comment, he still loved Bergeron. The latter then apologized and said he should have phrased what he said better. “The fact that it hurt your feelings and that you sent your trophy back, I felt terrible about that,” Bergeron said.
He explained further, saying that saying “ouch” was more about the “balance between judge and viewer voting,” adding that many other people were surprised as well. By the finale, Bones and his pro partner, Shana Burgess, had the lowest scores in the entire competition, and they never received scores higher than 8 throughout the season.
Since the judges’ scores and fan votes each accounted for 50 percent of the result, Bones ultimately won thanks to the public vote.
The Radio Personality Said He ‘Cheated’
In 2025, Bones admitted to “cheating” his way to victory during his season, but not in a way that broke the competition’s rules.
Instead, he put more time practicing than the four hours he said were allotted. As previously reported by The Blast, after his time with Burgess was over, Bones would rent a studio and continue practicing, as he knew he was “so far behind everybody else” in terms of dancing skills.
Despite describing it as “cheating,” Bones did not break any official “DWTS” rules. The show does not place restrictions on rehearsal time, and celebrities are free to practice independently.
‘Dancing With The Stars’ Returns For Season 35
“Dancing With The Stars” is returning for its 35th season, which will premiere on September 15. As of writing, only four contestants have been named: Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson, and Guillermo Rodriguez.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will return as hosts, and the judging panel will include Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli.
The remaining contestants, along with their pro dancing partners, will be revealed live on “Good Morning America” on September 2.
