One person not signing the #BringBackKimandTony petition? Carrie Ann Inaba!
Though she was forced to withdraw from Dancing With the Stars after suffering a mini-stroke that prevented her from flying, Kim Zolciak-Biermann and her partner Tony Dovolani are campaigning to be allowed back into the ballroom. And while they have a lot of support, it appears that the ABC reality hit series will not be bending the rules for the Bravo reality star.
E! News caught up with the DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba at PETA's 35th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday night, where she said it wouldn't be fair to other the couples to allow Kim and Tony back into the competition.
"I think that it would not be fair," she said, "because the rules are the rules and she didn't compete. It doesn't feel right for me for her to come back."
She then continued, "The best part of this situation is she's OK," She had a stroke and she survived and she's doing well."
To hear more from Carrie Ann, including her sweet message to Kim and her thoughts on Alfonso Ribeiro's stint as a guest judge, watch our interview with the DWTS judge above.
The petition to bring Kim and Tony back into the competition as over 23,000 signatures, and Kim has shared it with her Twitter followers, thanking them for their support. "I'm forever grateful for my dance partner @tonydovolani who has always supported me and All Of you my amazing fans!!!!!!!!" she wrote with a link to the petition (that is not affiliated with ABC). "Regardless I'll be dancing my ass off at the finale."
Pro dancer Mark Ballas agreed with Carrie Ann's sentiments about the rules when we caught up with him after Monday's show. "If it's in the contract, it's in the contract," he said. "If it's in the rules, it's in the rules."
However, not everyone felt so strongly about the rules, with Derek Hough telling us, "If they wanted to have her come back, I'd absolutely be fine with that."
DWTS airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.