Originally Posted by Veri:
“So what is our theory about how the "fixing" works and about why the judges are willing to risk their personal and professional reputations by going along with it (or being part of it)?
"Darcy holding her head in her hands" -- was she supposedly forced against her will to save Peter?
Is Len not part of the conspiracy, or do the judges take it in turns to do the "fixing"?
I have never seen any credible explanation of how it would work.”
This is how I think it works and I've read comments by a couple ex-pros that support this theory: The judges, writers, and producers watch the dress rehearsal together and the judges are told how to score the couples and comments are suggested.
They're given a little bit of leeway because a celebrity might fall down or go sit on the stairs (a la Matt di Angelo, but note he was still awarded 8's). So they can vary by a number or maybe even two, but only in extreme circumstances.
And they also go over possible bottom two scenarios and they're told who's to be kept and who isn't.
Note: They wouldn't all have to watch, but the rehearsal footage is scripted and scored according to the producers pre-planned but adjusted/evolving "storyboard" - and the scripts are delivered to the judges, whether they've watched or not.