Chaz Bono braved controversy to be the first transgender contestant on Dancing with the Stars, but he revealed in an interview today that it was jibes over his weight that troubled him the most.
But it wasn't from ignorant, faceless haters that the 42-year-old faced these attacks, but rather from the show's judges, whom Bono has blasted as 'disrespectful.'
The only child of Cher, 65 , and the late Sonny Bono, told Good Morning America: 'I was called a basketball, a penguin, an Ewok, and I just didn't appreciate it.'
Bono, who was joined by dancing partner Lacey Schwimmer, 23 , for the interview said he felt particularly attacked by Bruno Tonioli, 55 , who compared him to the flightless bird.
He said: 'If you want to critique my dancing and give me some constructive advice so I can try to improve the next time that I'm there, that would be great.'
'But I don't really know how to be less penguish, and so I kind of took offence to that.'
Bono, who earned a score of 19 out of a possible 30 on Monday night, also said he feels there is a gender divide between how overweight men and overweight women are treated on the show.
He mentioned the positive response from the judges to Kirstie Alley, 60 , on the last season.
'It's hard to take this competition seriously when the judges are so inconsistent,' he said.
'At the same time, we went out there and did what we needed to do and did it well and had a great time doing it.
Schwimmer, who has also been criticised for her weight, concurred.
But Bono revealed the competition had strengthened his relationship with his superstar mother.
'This was something my mom and I could really have common ground on because this is something that she knows what it feels like to go out and perform in front of an audience.'
The gay rights activist, who wants Iraq veteran turned soap star J.R Martinez to win the glitter ball trophy, is keen to dance some more.
And he said he wants to perform in front of an audience: '[I'd do Broadway] in a hot second! Yes! If Broadway comes knocking, please. I'd be very happy to do anything. I'd love this experience.'
Last night as he was eliminated, Bono seemed happy to have just been a contender as he said his farewell piece to host Brooke Burke.
'I took so much away from this. This was an amazing journey that really pushed me and showed me I could do so much more than I thought I could,' he said.
When co-host Tom Bergeron asked if he had any regrets, Cher's son said he hadn't.
'I wanted to show America a different kind of man. If there was somebody like me on TV when I was growing up, my whole life would've been different.'
He continued: 'So I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me, and especially the kids and teens who are struggling.You can have a wonderful great life and be successful and happy,' he said.
'You get all 10s for that, my friend,' said host Tom Bergeron.
He and Lacey then danced their final dance as their fellow Stars clapped emotionally.
Joining the pair in jeopardy, as usual, were Hope Solo and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
The latter got himself into some hot water last night when he lashed out at judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
He was furious when he thought they had critiqued his partner unfairly, saying that she had danced her worst rumba yet.
He told Dancing with the Stars' 67-year-old head judge Goodman, 'Maybe it's time to get out' of the ballroom business.
He apologised for his tempter tantrum on last night's show, which may have saved his team from elimination.
'The one thing I really want to apologize for is — I had this idea in my head and it [came out wrong] — it's not my show. I'm part of a very large cast and crew,' the Ukranian-born dancer announced.
However, today it emerged that he isn't backing down.
Also speaking to Good Morning America, he said:'I have nothing to apologize for to Len, the last time I apologized was to my grandma when she was dying of cancer.'
Backtracking on the remorse more quickly than he can fox-trot, he said that Dancing with the Stars: 'is my show: I help make it what it is.'
Chmerkovskiy explained: 'I love the show. I love the fans. I love every aspect of it and that was the whole idea behind what came out wrong with 'My show'...
'When I got on this show six years ago, I treated it as a dance competition and everyone here tried really hard to change my mind and say 'Look Maks, it's a show, there are other elements to it,' so I embraced it.
But one thing I'm not going to embrace is pointed fingers and disrespectful remarks.'
Chmerkovskiy then referred to Bono’s complaints about unflattering comparisons, and THAT penguin remark.
'Why is it that the judges are allowed to compare us to animals and say stuff they think is funny when it's nothing constructive at all and we can't say that they're wrong, basically?' he said.
He said the one thing he doesn’t 'want to do is to have Hope have any negative vibe out of this, she’s truly our star and she's been doing an amazing job.'
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