Model and actress Charlotte McKinney competed in Season 20 of Dancing With the Stars with pro Keo Motsepe. The dup placed 11th in the competition, with McKinney, 32, often facing scrutiny not just for her dancing but for the way the show framed her storyline, including her past struggles with bullying and dyslexia. The night of her elimination, one of the judges made a comment that has stuck with McKinney to this day — so much so that she’s making playful jabs about it on TikTok.
Her exit came after a tumultuous rumba in week 3. McKinney and Keo received 22 out of 40 — the lowest score of the night. But it wasn’t the reason the moment sparked public backlash.
It was the critique judge Bruno Tonioli gave her, which seemingly was a jab at her intelligence.
“Listen, my darling, you’re never going to win the Nobel Prize for quantum physics, but you are easy on the eyes and you produce wonderful shapes,” the choreographer told her. The crowd, the other judges, and the internet went wild.
“It was so insulting and degrading,” one Redditor said of Tonioli’s comment. McKinney later called the remark “uncalled for” given the show’s recent focus on bullying and the fact she was never asked about her academic credentials.
But now, she seems to be making light of a once tense situation, as evidenced by a viral TikTok, which has over 81,000 likes.
In the clip, Tonioli’s comment is replayed, followed by McKinney dramatically throwing a knife at his picture. She delivers a sharp retort: “Very funny, Bruno boy — think I forgot? Well I don’t need a Nobel Prize to kick your a–.”
The video ends before any further action, but pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy commented simply, “Perfect.” It’s clear everyone has moved on and can joke about the past.
Tonioli isn’t the only judge to deliver what fans perceive to be inappropriate feedback. There’s an entire Reddit thread dedicated to times the “judges were out of line.”
McKinney wasn’t the first celebrity to receive tough comments like that on Dancing With the Stars and she won’t be the last. But that’s the live show — electric and occasionally uncomfortable, but it makes for good television.
Watch Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC and Disney+.
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This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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