Fans of Dancing with the Stars were left fuming after Sunday’s episode saw Nadia Bartel eliminated while controversial contestant Ben Cousins remained in the competition.
During the episode, the ex-WAG found herself in the bottom two couples alongside the AFL bad boy, and the pair were forced to go head-to-head in a nail-biting dance off.
The judges opted to save Cousins on the night as he ‘had the most potential for growth’, according to veteran judge Mark Wilson.
Despite the negative feedback, the former footballer was saved, while Bartel, who had shown improvement and promise, was sent packing.
The decision baffled many fans who slammed the judges for keeping Cousins, 46.
‘Ben should’ve gone big time; he was really bad at dancing,’ one fan wrote on Instagram.
Fans of Dancing with the Stars were left fuming after Sunday’s episode saw Nadia Bartel eliminated while controversial contestant Ben Cousins remained in the competition
![During the episode, the ex-WAG found herself in the bottom two couples alongside the AFL bad boy, and the pair were forced to go head-to-head in a nail-biting dance off](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/23/00/87585771-13661067-During_the_episode_the_ex_WAG_found_herself_in_the_bottom_two_co-a-7_1721691218877.jpg)
During the episode, the ex-WAG found herself in the bottom two couples alongside the AFL bad boy, and the pair were forced to go head-to-head in a nail-biting dance off
A second fan commented: ‘Well, it made no sense. All the judges said Ben was out of time etc., but still saved him. Strange.’
The backlash continued, with another frustrated viewer writing: “Rigged! Ben should’ve left over Nadia. She had more potential.”
Earlier this month, Cousins admitted he had a hard time watching his first dance back.
![Despite the negative feedback, the former footballer was saved, while Bartel, who had shown improvement and promise, was sent packing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/23/00/87644647-13661067-Despite_the_negative_feedback_the_former_footballer_was_saved_wh-a-10_1721691219383.jpg)
Despite the negative feedback, the former footballer was saved, while Bartel, who had shown improvement and promise, was sent packing
‘It was hard to watch last night because I knew what was coming,’ he told Mix94.5’s Pete & Kymba.
‘Whatever they did with the editing, no matter how clever they got, it was going to be almost impossible to put a positive spin on my first episode!’
Despite watching the show with his family, Cousins said he found the experience daunting.
‘I did go down to mum’s place. My sister has got two little ones – 3 and 6, who are little dancers and take it very seriously, so I thought it’d be a bit of fun to go down and watch it with them.’
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![The decision baffled many fans who slammed the judges for keeping Cousins, 46](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/23/00/87644657-13661067-The_former_AFL_star_s_continued_presence_on_the_show_has_sparked-a-12_1721691219623.jpg)
The decision baffled many fans who slammed the judges for keeping Cousins, 46
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