Dancing With The Stars hosts shock with X-rated 'swinging' comment amid backlash

The in-studio audience was left stunned by Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger’s X-rated comments.

Lachlan Guertin
·Senior Entertainment Reporter
·3-min read
Dancing With The Stars hosts Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger.
Dancing With The Stars hosts Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger joked about ‘swinging’ during Sunday night’s episode. Photo: Channel Seven

Despite receiving several complaints that the show is no longer considered “family friendly viewing” due to Sonia Kruger’s cheeky sense of humour and “smutty innuendos”, Sunday night’s episode of Dancing With The Stars featured a series of X-rated jokes that left the audience stunned. An insider told Yahoo Lifestyle last month that the show’s editors were forced to re-edit the pre-recorded series after fans labelled the Gold Logie winner “too crude for television”.

However, it appears producers have decided to keep a handful of risqué comments in the broadcast as Sonia and her co-host Chris Brown joked about “swinging” in the most recent episode. Keeping in theme with ‘Step Back In Time’ week, the duo were speaking with the judges about their favourite era of dance when Craig Revel Horwood said he was a big fan of the sixties.

“Swinging sixties?” Chris remarked, to which Sonia added, “I see a pineapple!”.

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“Well, I don’t mind that,” Craig responded. “A spa bath, darling, and all that stuff. Keys thrown into the centre of the table. Yes, we’ve all lived through that, haven’t we, Sonia?”

Sonia quickly interrupted so she could introduce the dancers as Chris looked bemused and the audience burst into shocked laughter.

A pineapple - specifically one that is upside down - is typically a symbol that swingers use to identify each other. Meanwhile, a ‘key party’ where attendees put their keys in a bowl is another well-known element of swinging.

Dancing With The Stars' Craig Revel Horwood / hosts Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger.
The hosts were shocked by Craig Revel Horwood’s surprising response. Photos: Channel Seven

While viewers have taken to social media to share their disapproval of Sonia’s tongue-in-cheek remarks throughout the season, an insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that her “outrageous” jokes are carefully planned and approved ahead of time.

“Sonia is naturally funny and her sense of humour works well with this format,” our source says. “Most of the double entendres go over the kids' heads and all the jokes are required to get network approval.

“Sonia is known to walk into the dressing room of the judges and give them a heads up and even workshop some of the gags with them. They love to play along and there is never any malice intended. It’s all a bit of fun.”

The insider adds that producers contacted former host Daryl Somers to run through the jokes at his expense - and viewers can expect to hear many throughout the entire season.

“Daryl was quite generous with what has been left in the edit,” they continue. “Sonia had the whole ballroom laughing and she really didn't hold back.”

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This year marks the first time Sonia has stepped into the main hosting position on Dancing With The Stars after 15 seasons on the show. In previous years, Daryl Somers, Daniel MacPherson and Shane Bourne played it straight while there was some bawdy humour from their skybox correspondent - a role Sonia made famous before Mel B and Edwina Bartholomew each briefly took over.

The show switched things up this year by adding former Network 10 star Chris Brown as Sonia’s co-host, and Channel Seven is said to be “really proud” of how things have worked out.

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