'Dancing with the Stars' Halloween night once showcased the best dancing routines and unexpected twists; however, this time, the twist didn’t come from the dancers—it came from host Tyra Banks. During an episode of Season 31, Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas performed an Argentine tango song, which garnered a lot of praise from the judges. According to Good Housekeeping, Len Goodman complimented the performance by saying, “It transported me to a club in Argentina.”
But Tyra Banks' attempt to turn his comment into a joke fell flat—fast. “I heard the audience make a sound when Len said he was transported to a club in Argentina,” Banks said, clearly trying to milk the moment. Then she made bass noises and mimed clubbing, adding, “What are you talking about, a club?” However, the joke didn’t land well. To this, Goodman replied, looking confused, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Fans who couldn’t help but agree with Goodman expressed their thoughts on X. One person tweeted, “This Tyra-Len moment is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve seen on DWTS all season. Just…why??” Another added, “Can someone please explain what Tyra meant about Len being in a club? Because even he doesn’t know.” A third chimed in: “Every time Tyra opens her mouth, I feel like I’m watching a live rehearsal, not a live show.” This is not the first time that Banks’ comments have unleashed chaos on the internet. In Season 31, her hosting has sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many criticizing her for mispronouncing names. Screenrant also noted that since Goodman has been a part of DWTS for over 17 years, it's not a surprise that his fans were quick to reply to her through their social media. One even went on to say, "I beg you all to fire Tyra, please."
Back in 2020, after joining the show in Season 29, Tyra addressed the backlash in an interview with US Weekly. “Every host messes up. It’s just normal. It’s live TV,” she explained. “If I didn’t want to mess up, if I wanted to be perfect, I know how to do that. But when you’re relaxed and keep it real, the mess-ups happen.” She doubled down on the idea that authenticity matters more than perfection. “Even on 'America’s Next Top Model,' I would mess up and tell my editors to leave it in. That’s what makes things human,” she said.
However, the performance was greatly appreciated by Banks as well. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas went on to win Season 31, and in an interview with People, Charli called Mark “an amazing person.” She also added, “Mark being my partner on Dancing with the Stars helped me learn so much about myself and also taught me how to be comfortable in my own dancing ability.” She further added, "He's really such an amazing person, and he's taught me so much about myself and how I carry myself, and I'm forever grateful for him.”
