Rhiannon: “Dance is Rigged!”

Ousted dancer Rhiannon Villareal believes that the Australian version of reality show So You Think You Can Dance is “rigged.”

The 19-year-old hip hop/jazz dancer, who made it to the final eight before being eliminated on Monday, said that the show was nothing more than a “popularity contest,” with votes being placed more on looks and how a contestant is portrayed than actual talent. Â

“You can say it’s down to the public [voting], but we know that it’s a little bit rigged,” Villareal said.

“They’ve got to make good TV.”

When she was asked to explain her criticism further, Rhiannon said: “When I say rigged, I mean it’s like popularity.

“It makes it harder for the versatile dancers to do something different. It’s definitely not the best dancers. It’s popularity, who’s nicest on camera.”

But despite thinking that the contest is “unfair,” the bubbly dancer said she had enjoyed every minute of her time on the hit show. “It’s the best fun,” Villareal added.Â

This is the first Australian-based series of the U.S. show of the same name, and has been averaging a massive 1.5 million viewers per week for Network Ten since beginning in February.

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