Dancing With The Stars undergoes major edits after viewer complaints: 'Not a good look'

EXCLUSIVE: Editors have been forced to ‘tone down’ Sonia Kruger’s comments.

Lachlan Guertin
·Senior Entertainment Reporter
Updated ·3-min read
Dancing With The Stars host Sonia Kruger.
Dancing With The Stars host Sonia Kruger has been labelled ‘too crude for television’. Photo: Channel Seven

She’s been a much-loved part of Dancing With The Stars since it first premiered in 2004, but Sonia Kruger has been labelled “too crude for television” following some of her remarks on this year’s season of the reality show.

The Gold Logie winner is well known for having a cheeky sense of humour across her various TV hosting gigs, and Dancing With The Stars is certainly no different. This season she’s already joked about Nikki Osborne needing to “trim her bush”, Samantha Jade doing the “reverse koala”, and Helen Richey owning a pair of handcuffs.

An insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that Channel Seven has received “several complaints” about Sonia’s X-rated jokes which have forced editors to rework the pre-recorded series to be more family-friendly viewing.

“The general feeling while the show was recorded was that Sonia could go 'full Kruges' for the live audiences and she would be protected in the edit, but that hasn't seemed to have happened thus far,” our source shares. “I don't even think Sonia believed that these jokes were going to be seen on television.”

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A live audience member who attended the show’s pre-recording earlier this year adds that Sonia was “fantastic” in the hosting position “but it did feel a little like late-night television”.

“I can't imagine all of that going to air,” they tell Yahoo Lifestyle, emphasising that the audience was “constantly in stitches”.

Dancing With The Stars hosts Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger.
Viewers have complained that Sonia’s X-rated comments are ‘not suitable for a family-friendly show’. Photo: Channel Seven

While viewers who attended the live taping might be fans of Sonia’s risqué comments, the first four episodes have seen several people complaining about the show on social media.

“I am not finding Sonia very funny or entertaining, her comments are disgusting!” one person shared. “Isn’t it PG, I'm not a prude but not a good look Ch 7. Loving Dr. Chris but feel sorry he made the move.”

“I agree. Sonia’s smutty innuendos spoil it & discredit her. Not suitable for a family-friendly show,” another added, followed by someone else who said, “Looks like the same producers who ruined Farmer Wants A Wife [are] doing this so probably won't be watching”.

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.

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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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