Rate the show like a judge
You’ve always judged from the couch.Now it counts.
Watch live or catch up later. Hold up your paddle for every performance, 1 to 10. Nobody else’s score shows until yours is in; then the real judges and everyone else flip theirs, and Armchair Judge tracks how close you run to the panel all season.
The desk on this page is an illustration with invented scores.
Couple 3 · Paso doble
- Season loaded
- 1
- Couples on the floor
- 16
- Episodes scheduled
- 12
- Judges on the panel
- 3
Dancing with the Stars, counted from the app’s season catalog when this page was built.
How it works
Blind first. Then the reveal.
01
Watch it your way
Live on the night or on replay days later. Nothing is spoiled until you get there.
02
Hold up your paddle
One score per performance, 1 to 10. Once it is up, it is final.
03
Then everyone flips
Only after you score: the real judges, your group and the whole crowd's average.
04
See how close you are
Every score is measured against the panel. Watch the gap close as the season goes on.
What you get
A judge’s desk in your pocket.
Everything below runs in the Dancing with the Stars app today, except where it says otherwise. The screens are illustrations with invented names and scores.
- LIVE
Blind, final scoring
Hold up a paddle from 1 to 10 for every performance. Nobody else's number shows until yours is in, and once it's in, it stays. No peeking, no second thoughts.
- LIVE
The reveal desk
The moment your paddle is up, that dance turns over: each judge, your group, and the whole room's average, next to yours.
- LIVE
Accuracy and leaderboards
Every score is measured against the judges' average, so you can watch your gap shrink week by week. Leaderboards for friends, groups and everyone are next.
- LIVE
Groups that follow you
Start a group, share the invite link, and filter any reveal down to just them. Groups belong to your Armchair Judge account, so the same crew is there for every show.
- LIVE
Vote reminders
While the live East Coast broadcast runs, the episode screen puts the show's text-vote number in front of you and keeps count of your votes per couple.
- COMING SOON
Every past season
Dancing with the Stars back to season 1: cast, dances and the panel's scores. Score any of it after the fact; the blind rule still holds, so you see the judges only once you've committed.
Show night
How a show night plays out.
Dancing with the Stars airs live on the East Coast, 8 to 10 PM Eastern.
8:00 PM ET
The night opens
Tonight's couples appear in alphabetical order, so the running order gives nothing away. Voting on the show opens with the broadcast.
Each dance
Paddle up
Tap the couple on the floor and score them 1 to 10 while they dance. Submit and it's final. Don't want to score one? Reveal it without scoring.
Minutes later
The reveal
The panel's scores land a few minutes after each dance. Yours is already in, so the desk turns over: judges, your group, everyone.
10:00 PM ET
Results
Voting closes with the broadcast. Your accuracy for the night updates against the full panel, ready to compare with your group.
Any night after
Catch up
Watching on replay? Every dance waits for you, unspoiled. Already seen the week? Reveal all and move on.
One account
Every show, the same couch.
Each show gets its own app with its own look, but you only sign up once. Your people come with you.
- One Google sign-in opens every show app. No new account per show.
- Groups and friends belong to your Armchair Judge account, not to a show. A group you start for Dancing with the Stars is already there when the next show opens.
- Accuracy is kept per show and per season, so a great ballroom eye doesn't prop up a bad read on the round table.
Shows
Pick your panel.
Dancing with the Stars is live now. Two more are in rehearsal.
Live now
Dancing with the Stars
Every dance, every week. Get your score up before the panel does.
Start judgingComing soon
The Traitors
Candlelit schemes and round-table banishments, scored from the sofa.
Coming soon
Survivor
Torches, tribal council and blindsides. Your score before the vote.
FAQ
Before you pick up a paddle.
Is it free?
Yes. Armchair Judge is free to use, and every show app runs on the same free account.
Which shows can I judge?
Dancing with the Stars, live now for the current season. The Traitors and Survivor are on the way, each as its own app under the same account.
Do I need to watch live?
No. Score on replay whenever you get to it. Nothing about a dance is shown until you score it or choose to reveal it, so you stay unspoiled. Already seen a week? Reveal all and move on.
Does my score count as a vote on the show?
No. Paddles here are for bragging rights and never reach the show. To vote on Dancing with the Stars, text 21523 during the live East Coast broadcast; the app shows you how while voting is open.
Who can see my scores?
Someone sees your score for a dance only after they've scored that dance themselves. Your name and photo appear beside your scores; your email never does.
What do you get from my Google account?
Your name, email address and profile photo, used only to create your account. Nothing else: no contacts, Gmail, Drive or Calendar. We never sell or share your data.
Is this made by the shows?
No. Armchair Judge is an independent fan project, not affiliated with the networks or producers. The judges' scores it compares you with are published after each dance.
ABOUT ARMCHAIR JUDGE
What this app is, and what it does with your Google account
Armchair Judge is a free companion for TV competition shows. While an episode airs, or whenever you watch it, you score each performance from 1 to 10. Your score stays private until you submit it; then you see the real judges’ scores, other viewers’ scores, and how close you were over the season. Dancing with the Stars is available now; more shows are coming.
We use Google Sign-In only to create your account. We receive your name, email address and profile photo from Google, and nothing else: no contacts, Gmail, Drive, Calendar or other Google data. Your name and photo appear next to your scores; your email is never shown to other people. We never sell or share your data.
Armchair Judge does not generate, edit or host images of people, and it uses no AI image or video generation of any kind. The only photos in the app are public, openly licensed headshots of the shows’ cast and judges, credited to their photographers, plus the profile photo from your own Google account.
Details are in our privacy policy and terms of service.
Next show night, bring a paddle.
Sign in with Google, start a group, and see who in it has the judges’ eye.