Gleb Savchenko Breaks His Silence On Mark Ballas ‘Favoritism’ Rumors

After more than a decade on "Dancing with the Stars," Gleb Savchenko has seen just about everything, from iconic drag performances to headline-making chemistry with his celebrity partners. But this season, the longtime pro is clearing the air about one topic fans can’t stop debating, and that is whether Mark Ballas is receiving “favoritism” on the show. In a new interview, Gleb Savchenkoopened up about the chatter surrounding Ballas, the show’s three-time Mirrorball champion, as well as his own short-lived run this season with partner Hilaria Baldwin.

Savchenko and Baldwin entered the ballroom with a standout Cha Cha during the first live show, but their time was cut short after being eliminated during Disney Week. Despite the early exit, and the backlash Baldwin later expressed toward viewers, Gleb says he has nothing but admiration for her work ethic.

When speaking to Covers, he emphasized that Hilaria “put her heart and soul into dancing,” even when parts of her experience became challenging.

Online, fans have speculated that Ballas, a "DWTS" fan-favorite since the early seasons, may be receiving special treatment. But according to Gleb, that simply isn’t the case.

“To be honest, I think everyone is in the same boat,” he said. “People can say whatever, but he is extremely talented and he’s proved himself over the years, being an amazing choreographer, an amazing performer. He knows the drill; he knows how to pace his couple and look after his partner very well. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

He added that when a pro has a strong celebrity partner, like Ballas has this year with Whitney Levitt, strategy naturally comes into play. “When you have a great celebrity like Whitney, you know that you’re going far, and you’re thinking, what do I have to do next? Mark is great at that.”

Gleb also dismissed the notion that Ballas benefits from anything other than pure skill and experience. “I think everyone is really good and in the same position. I don’t think there’s favoritism. He’s won the Mirrorball three times, he’s been doing the show since the very beginning.”

Savchenko also praised Ballas’s approach to choreography, not just for technique, but for production value. “You also have to think when you choreograph a dance, you’re not just thinking about the steps, you’re thinking about the camera shots and creating a music video, basically, for people to see at home,” he explained.

And Ballas’s work last week left him thoroughly impressed. “Last week’s Paso was fire! I mean, him shirtless, fully tatted, and being in a spider's web at the beginning, come on!" he said. "That already deserves a perfect score.”

With this season’s cast sparking debate over contestants like Whitney Leavitt, who is known for her dance background, some viewers insist the playing field isn’t level. But Gleb Savchenko says dance experience alone doesn’t determine success on "Dancing with the Stars."

“Here’s the thing. It’s not just your dance experience,” he explained. “It’s also your personality, what kind of energy you come to a show with, and what you’re expecting from that experience. Look at Andy [Richter]. He’s the heart of the show, and this is what the show is about.”

Savchenko emphasized that authenticity, connection, and heart often resonate more with audiences than technical skill alone.

As chatter continues online about stricter scoring and tougher critiques from the judges, Savchenko says he doesn’t see it as unfair, it's just part of the natural progression of the competition.

“I don’t know. We have had a lot of 10s this season,” he said. “We’re still in week seven and going into week eight. I mean, this is a build-up, and everyone wants to see the perfect score when that happens. It’s exciting and makes the show more exciting.”

For Savchenko, the tougher critiques only heighten anticipation for the moment when a couple finally earns that elusive perfect score. “It will be interesting to see who will get a perfect score,” he added.

"Dancing with the Stars" airs Tuesdays on ABC, Hulu, and Disney+.