Bobby Bones recently joined Jason Tartick on his podcast Trading Secrets for a candid conversation about money, and he didn’t hold back when it came to his time on Dancing With The Stars.
Jason asked about Bobby’s big win on the show, and Bobby shared exactly what the paycheck looked like. For the first several episodes, he earned about $10,000 each, which later increased to $20,000 per episode, and the final two episodes came in at $50,000 each. All in all, Bobby walked away with around $400,000 from his run on the competition series.
But it wasn’t just money they discussed, Bobby also opened up about how he “cheated” his way to victory. Not in the way critics might assume, though. Contestants were allowed four hours of daily training with their dance partners, but Bobby admitted he needed extra practice to keep up. So, after training with Sharna Burgess, he would rent out a studio and practice on his own for hours more. “I cheated the system,” Bobby said, explaining that he pushed himself harder than what was required. His drive to improve week after week ultimately helped him claim the Mirrorball Trophy.
After the podcast, a few news outlets ran with headlines about Bobby “cheating,” but the reality is clear, his so-called “cheating” was really about putting in extra work and determination to win.