Danny Amendola partnered with Whitney Carson
Football stars are no stranger to DWTS, so when Amendola hit the floor I was not looking forward to it. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the skill level he had on week one as someone without any dance experience at all. Throughout the weeks, he has improved even further and is never failing to keep the judges and audience on the edge of their seats. Along with this, the athlete's work ethic is portrayed very clearly in the show with him opening up about how badly he wants to succeed. He has been a pleasant surprise during this season and I will be rooting for him to make it to the finale, which he did. Amendola took home fifth place on the show, being one of the five couples that made it there.
Anna Delvey partnered with Ezra Sosa
Entrepreneur and fashionista, Delvey made quite a splash when she publicly announced her role on the show. The Russian native is infamous for being convicted in April of 2019 for fraud after scamming socialites out of their money. Delvey appeared on “Good Morning America” in an ankle monitor ready to conquer the dance floor. However, viewers, myself included, felt that adding her to the cast was a poor move given her sticky situation with the United States legal system. Delvy was voted off in the first round of eliminations and has announced that she will not be returning for the finale. It was inevitable that Delvey was not going to last long on the show. In fact, I am relieved she did not stay any longer. The attitude she brought into practices and shows was nothing short of negative and disrespectful and it just seemed like she did not want to be there at all. I feel bad for her partner, with it being his first season as a pro, but I think ultimately she needed to go home.
Joey Graziadei partnered with Jenna Johnson
This former Bachelor star, partnered with Johnson, opened this season with the very first dance and immediately captured audiences around the world. Graziadei’s musicality and connection within the movements sets him apart from the other contestants, especially given his lack of background with dance. I feel that there have been instances in the season where the two have not gotten the score they deserve and have been underscored. His talent and improvement has been completely overlooked by the judges. However, Graziadei has shown his determination to last throughout the entire season and potentially win the Mirrorball Trophy, which is not far out of the question. Given this, Graziadei took home the trophy as the victor of season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.
Dwight Howard partnered with Daniella Karagach
Veteran NBA player Howard holds the record for the most dunks in NBA history, along with being the only player to ever receive the Defensive Player of the Year award for three consecutive seasons. Howard hit the stage at the premiere with his significantly shorter partner Karagach, who stands at five feet three inches, as opposed to his six foot ten inches. The height difference alone is an adversity for any partnerships, but the two made it work flawlessly. In week one’s dance, you can clearly see the players personality, which has shined throughout the season. I think Howard is the perfect contestant in the sense that he has no dance experience and faces adversities in learning and portraying the dance, yet he still shows up with a positive attitude, works hard and acts like he wants to be there. However, the week before the semi-finals, this dynamic duo was eliminated from the contest, leaving fans around the country broken-hearted.
Chandler Kinney partnered with Brandon Armstrong
After performing in Disney’s limelight while acting in movies, Kinney joined this season of DWTS to take on the ballroom floor with her partner Armstrong. The two started the season at the top of the leaderboard and have solidly maintained that standing for the majority of the competition. Their partnership has sparked significant debate online concerning the standing on allowing celebrities with prior dance or choreography training on the show as celebrities. Kinney has a past in the Disney Channel entertainment industry where she was also trained to achieve certain choreography skills. I think Kinney is very talented, but it is hard to stay invested in her journey on the show because of the lack of growth in her skill, as the transformation is not nearly as drastic as most. Kinney made it to the semi finals and even the finale and took home third place on the show.
Ilona Maher partnered with Alan Bernstein
This Olympic gold medal-winning rugby star turned social media influencer has been praised for her inclusivity and awareness online, using her own insecurities to open up about them to tear down the body standards set upon women in everyday life. Maher joined the Dancing with the Stars cast for season 32 and has been tearing the stereotypes down week by week. A very notable moment of hers was when she lifted her partner in a salsa on week two. Typically, the male partner lifts the female partner, which they have done plenty of, but on Oscar night, the rugby champion flipped the script and her partner in one night. I think Maher has improved so much throughout the competition while also being authentically herself in every way possible. Every time she dances you can see how much she enjoys it and it is a thrill to see what she will bring to the ballroom every week. At the conclusion of the season, Maher took home second place in the competition.
Brooks Nader partnered with Gleb Savchenko
Covergirl model Nader joined the cast on week one with a timid dance that previewed what the weeks ahead would look like. Throughout her time on the show, it seemed the model was only interested in either herself, or her partner, Savchenko. From the cast reveal date, the two were accused of having a relationship and throughout the season, the two consistently added flame to the fire. The two were spotted on multiple occasions kissing, embracing each other or even getting matching tattoos. Along with this, the two exploited the rumors on social media and through their choreography. It seemed to me that the two were more worried about creating a stir than actually wanting to win the competition.
Stephen Nedoroscik partnered with Rylee Arnold
After winning bronze at the Olympics this summer in the men’s gymnastics event pommel horse, Nedoroscik was the first to be announced on joining the cast. Weeks prior to the full cast announcement he made an appearance on social media stating he was officially joining the season 32 cast. Nedoroscik and his partner Arnold showcase intense talent every week and their dances are consistently different allowing the audience to fully see what he is capable of. This partnership is definitely in my top three and I will be strongly rooting for them until the end, which they will hopefully make it to. Following the semi-finals and final, Nedoroscik took home fourth place with his partner.
Phaedra Parks partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy
This attorney and reality star entertained in the ballroom on premiere night with a notably strong performance. From the beginning, Parks was a strong performer being led by her partner Chmerkovskiy. The two share odd interactions and the partner dynamic is very hard to read. The two are slowly increasing in talent each week but have not done any notable dances to really earn them a spot high on the leaderboard. The two were eliminated on week four, “Disney” night.
Eric Roberts partnered with Britt Stewert
Roberts attempted to go for the mirrorball trophy at 68-years-old. On the show, he opened up about a car crash that left one side of his body moving permanently behind the other side. He explained how he wanted to move past it on this show, which he and his wife are big fans of. Every week when watching him perform, I was rooting for Roberts. I could tell he really wanted to be there and loved what he was doing. I was sad when he got eliminated aside VelJohnson, but the effort and talent he put in has not been forgotten.
Tori Spalding partnered with Pasha Pashkov
“Beverly Hills 90210” star Spalding thrillingly took the ballroom floor on premiere night and immediately won over audiences and my own heart. She expressed her love for the show and for dance itself. When she danced, you could see just how happy she was. On premiere night, everyone was so serious and focused, whereas Spalding smiled and looked like she was having the best time in the world. I thought she would make it longer in the competition, yet she was eliminated in the first round on week two, along with Delvey.
Jenn Tran partnered with Sasha Farber
Last minute inclusion, Tran was added to the cast on the day of the cast announcement. Having no time to prepare for her season, the Bachelorette star went straight from the Bachelorette season finale to the ballroom in less than 24 hours. Despite this hustle, this single lady has consistently shown improvement and joy through every dance. Along with her dancing skills, the star is rumored to have a potential relationship with her partner Farber after a cheeky TikTok of them sharing ice cream was posted. Every week, watching this pair dance is something completely new and different. I also love that her improvement throughout the season is noticeable and she brings nothing short of good vibes and a strong work ethic. However, on Halloween night, Tran was voted off after scoring exponentially higher than other contestants with a 10, 9 and 9 from the judges, shocking audiences around the country. Many wondered how someone could score so high, yet still be eliminated from the show.
Reginald VelJohnson partnered with Emma Slater
This older actor surprised many fans when he announced he would join the cast with partner Slater. VelJohnson, at age 72, captured audiences hearts with his loving personality and joy that he portrayed on the dance floor. As he was an older man, he did have struggles with movement and ultimately never did “full-out” choreography. Despite this, VelJohnson still made it past the first round of eliminations, but was voted off for the second round on “hair metal” night.
