Season 27 Winner
Dancing with the Stars season 27 in 2018 crowned Bobby Bones as the winner, with season 26 champion Rashad Jennings returning as a professional partner. The finale crowned Bobby Bones on November 19, 2018, marking the first win for a celebrity whose professional partner was not the top-ranked team through most of the season. Actress Sharna Burgess served as Bones' lead professional, while returning pro Emma Slater partnered season 26 winner Rashad Jennings in a high-profile cross-season matchup frequently spotlighted during the season.
This evergreen explainer outlines why this season remains notable in DWTS history, how the format and scoring influenced outcomes, and how the 2018 champion reshaped conversations around celebrity casting and redemption arcs on the show.
Key Season Details
Champion and Professional Partner
Bobby Bones, the morning radio host and shock jock from Nashville, won with professional Sharna Burgess. Bones' journey from perceived underdog to champion illustrated how DWTS scoring and audience vote swings can shift outcomes in later weeks.
Notable Runner-Up and Cast Context
Season 26 winner Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater placed second, a high-profile result that highlighted the show's cross-season narratives. Jennings' return amplified discussions about pro consistency and the impact of viewer memory on voting patterns.
Voting and Scoring Mechanics
DWTS combines judge scores (typically out of 30) with public votes each week. By season 27, the show had refined its voting windows and introduced methods to reduce outlier impacts. In 2018, judges emphasized technique precision and performance quality, while viewers focused on entertainment value and storytelling. This divergence occasionally produced midseason mismatches between leaderboard position and vote share, a dynamic that persisted through the finale.
Scorecard Snapshot: Finale Weights
| Component | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Judge Scores (Average) | Approx 50–60% | Varied by episode; higher in semifinals/final |
| Public Votes (SMS/APP) | Approx 40–50% | Regional splits and cumulative totals influenced momentum |
| Combined Score | 100% | Determined weekly elimination and finale outcome |
Notable Performances and Narrative Arcs
- Bobby Bones embraced a redemption storyline after early critiques, citing past dance inexperience.
- Sharna Burgess delivered consistent high scores in technique weeks, balancing artistic choices with execution.
- Jennings vs. Bones became a narrative throughline: a repeat champion facing a first-time winner with strong audience rapport.
- Casting choices for season 27 emphasized variety, including reality stars, sports personalities, and media personalities beyond traditional TV personalities.
Format Evolution Through 2018
By 2018, DWTS had established team-up weeks, instant dances, and surprise choreography rounds. The 2018 season introduced more complex group dances and incorporated social media interaction during results shows, tightening the feedback loop between audience votes and on-screen reactions. These format tweaks increased volatility in midseason scores while giving the finale a heightened sense of unpredictability.
Impact and Legacy
Bobby Bones' win reinforced the show's ability to reward personality as much as polish, influencing later seasons to cast more radio and podcast personalities. Season 27 also underscored how pro consistency and narrative positioning can outweigh early judge favoritism. For viewers, the season became a reference point for understanding how DWTS balances athletic scoring with entertainment storytelling.
Quick Comparison
| Season | Champion | Professional | Runner-Up | Key Narrative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (27) | Bobby Bones | Sharna Burgess | Rashad Jennings / Emma Slater | Redemption and personality-driven victory |
Wrap-Up
Understanding who won DWTS in 2018 requires looking at both performance metrics and narrative context. Bobby Bones' season illustrates how evolving formats, audience engagement, and pro consistency can intersect to produce memorable outcomes. For ongoing discussions about DWTS legacies, this season remains a pivotal example of unpredictability and audience influence in reality-competition television.
FAQ
Reader questions
Who is the DWTS winner in 2018?
Bobby Bones won season 27 of Dancing with the Stars in 2018, partnered with Sharna Burgess.
Who was the runner-up in season 27?
Rashad Jennings (season 26 champion) and Emma Slater finished as runners-up.
How are winners decided on DWTS?
Winners are determined by a combination of judges' scores and public votes accumulated through weekly performances and a finale vote.
Has a professional partner ever won with their celebrity partner?
Yes, but it is rare. Sharna Burgess and Bobby Bones' victory marked one of the instances where a pro who had not previously won as a primary professional claimed the title with a celebrity champion.
What made season 27 notable compared with earlier seasons?
Season 27 stood out for its cross-season storytelling, the Jennings versus Bones narrative, and a voting outcome where the judge-favored team did not hold the public vote lead throughout.