Former Drag Race competitor Courtney Act and her male dancing partner Joshua Keefe recently lost Australia’s Dancing with the Stars even though they consistently outscored the winning duo by a margin of 59 total points over the course of the 10-episode season.
Act and Keefe actually received the highest scores above all 11 of the other duos in nine out of 10 weeks. But alas, the show’s final winner is decided by combining the judge’s final episode scores along with telephone and text message voting from the Australian public.
Apparently Australia wasn’t ready to see a same-sex couple win.
After getting second place, Act wrote, “Ladies, Gentlemen, and people of all Genders! We didn’t win the Mirror Ball, but I feel like we won by being able to share so many dances and stories over the last 10 weeks, and sharing it with @JoshuaKeefe has been a true honour!”
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Here’s video of Act’s final performance on Dancing with the Stars, performed to pansexual rocker Janelle Monae‘s song “Make Me Feel”:
Ladies, Gentlemen, and people of all Genders! We didn’t win the Mirror Ball, but I feel like we won by being able to share so many dances and stories over the last 10 weeks, and sharing it with @JoshuaKeefe has been a true honour! pic.twitter.com/4A55KiXHCx
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) April 22, 2019
Twitter users were upset by her unexpected loss as well:
Hello? 000?
I’d like to report a robbery.
Courtney Act. Had a mirrorball trophy stolen.
#DWTSau— Wade Shipard (@wadeshipard) April 22, 2019
You’re a winner Ms @courtneyact, an absolute winner. Thank you so much for lending us your heels to stand on and your star power to shine a light on the work we are doing and want to do. We will be forever grateful. You are the epitome of what it means to be an ally. You Matter x pic.twitter.com/VvtkgenKsd
— Contagion of Love (@blkrnbow) April 22, 2019
my winner no matter what ? #DWTSAu @courtneyact pic.twitter.com/SZGBRxoKX8
— sammy ? (@untamedlisten3r) April 22, 2019
Act’s loss brings to mind Kris Allen’s 2009 victory over Adam Lambert in season 8 of American Idol. Lambert, who was an out gay man during the competition, was obviously more talented, but America’s call-in voters couldn’t stand to see him win, so he lost to a man whose fame has paled in comparison to Lambert’s ever since.
After winning, Allen said, “Adam deserved this… [he] was the most consistent person all year. He was seriously one of the most gifted performers that I’ve ever met.”
Related: WATCH: Everyone’s soaking wet on Courtney Act’s new bisexual dating show
Similarly, actor Samuel Johnson, the Dancing with the Stars competitor who beat Act, said, “Courtney was the better dancer. I want to acknowledge Courtney,” after he won.
He told TV Week, “I’d be an idiot to pretend she wasn’t the far superior dancer week in, week out. She absolutely deserves this trophy more than anyone else. In my mind, she got everything right. I just wanted to be a good wingman for Courtney. I’m as surprised as anybody.”
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DarkZephyr
Very disappointing. This planet still has such a long way to go when it comes to anti-LGBT bias.
fur_hunter
You are so correct……..BUT……It has come along way. I could not imagine seeing this happen on TV after ‘Father Knows Best’ or ‘Leave It To Bever’ back in the 50s. Yeah. Believe it. Just remember, Stonewall in June of 1969 was THE turning point for gay people. It began the Gay Rights Movement with the organizing of gays into the Gay Community. Keep fighting. It took 46 years from Stonewall for gay marriage to become legal. Yeah. It’s not over till the fat lady sings and she is still warming up. VOTE.
Geeker
Yet another reason to avoid Australia.
CKNJ
Believe me, it’s not just Australia… here in the USA we have often seen gay performers who are way superior to the rest of the competitors, lose to mediocrity (or at least lesser talents)… Adam Lambert and Billy Gilman are prime examples of that… I just hope that Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon on American Idol 2019 does not get similarly dissed by the bigots and homophobes on the other end of the voting lines, as Adam and Billy were… he is so far superior to EVERYONE on that competition this season… let’s see…
fur_hunter
It’s is NOT just Australia……It is ALSO in the US due to the ignorant and intolerant religious fundamentalist @$$ holes. But they are slowly dying out and good riddance. Good things are not achieved easily or swiftly. They take TIME. 46YEARS from Stonewall to legalized Gay marriage. Yeah. Do you know that back in the mid-70s, there was conversation about putting all gay people on an island? Yeah. Don’t believe me? Check out, Anita Bryant. Much has happened for the good but there is still a very LONG way to go.
startenout
Did you read the whole article where they LITERALLY compared it to the same thing happening in the US??? Honestly, I’m glad they let Courtney take the stage with a male
partner in the first place even if they robbed her in the end.
PoetDaddy
Never underestimate the homophobia of a national call-in audience, whether it’s Australia or the USA.
CKNJ
exactly!
graphicjack
While I’m certainly disappointed… it would have been amazing for Courtney to win another show on top of CCB-UK, but we need to remember that these shows often end up with questionable winners, and the real ‘winners’ are the ones who slay after the competition. Courtney will be just fine. She officially tied for second on RPDR (though she jokes she was third after Adore), was second on this show and won CCB-UK. That’s three very different reality show competitions where she’s been in the top two and that speaks to her incredible talent and versatility. Way to go, Courtney!
Catholicslutbox
Same sex partner?
Um, Courtney is a woman…
Brian
Um, no she’s not, she’s a drag queen.
MISTERJETT
Courtney is a drag queen.
Catholicslutbox
Nope, Courtney Act is a character meant to be viewed as a woman.
Shane is a drag queen.
Brian
Yes, she is a character. Not a woman, a character portrayed by a man. Stop being so stupidly pedantic. Especially since you’re wrong.
aussiechef
This is a popularity contest and had nothing to do with sexuality. The winner was voted by the public. Sam has a massive following due to his work for the charity “love your sister”. Do some research and you will see it was about Sam mobilising his followers. This is the Sam fella who unicycles around Australia for his charity. Who won a Gold Logie (Also popular vote) for his work on TV. Who had raised millions for his charity. He is also very much a supporter of LGBTQI. To suggest this is in anyway an indictment of Australia’s views on same sex relationships is to completely fails to understand how this tv format works.
Brian
Plus, it’s Dancing With The Stars. Who cares who wins?
lavadesign
A voice of reason! It had nothing to do with sexuality. I loved watching Courtney but I voted for Sam every day because I wanted the $50K to go to Love Your Sister.
I’ve never watched Dancing with the Stars or any other reality show beforehand, but I follow Love Your Sister and knew Sam would be on for this season. So I watched it. If Australia had a problem with Courtney, she wouldn’t have lasted as long as she did. Because she got to the final, points to many Australians voting for her all along.
Using the show to say most of Australia are still homophobic is ridiculous. (Of course, there be those who are, but I firmly believe they’re being shoved into minority more and more).
aussiechef
I can’t seem to edit my own comment. But wanted to add that Courtney Act is not very well known outside of the drag world in Aus. In fact many (including this gay guy) aussies had never heard of her until RPDR.
Brian
That’s funny, I remember her saying on RPDR that she was a household name in Australia.