Season 33 of Dancing With The Stars premiered tonight, after weeks of teasing fans with news about the brand-new cast of celebrity contestants. While some contestants (ahem, Anna Delvey) have received more raised eyebrows than others, this season’s cast is a healthy mix of Olympians, Bachelor/Bachelorettes, professional athletes and screen icons.
The premiere opens with an upbeat, high-intensity dance from the pros. It’s a standard DWTS premiere performance. Everyone’s dancing for their lives, blowing kisses and gyrating, shimmying about letting viewers know they are having a great time. The show is high energy times a million.
After hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribiero introduce the judges—Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli—and the cast of pros and celebrities (including “fashionista and entrepreneur Anna Delvey”), the hosts let the audience know that while there will be no elimination tonight, next week, there will be the dreaded double elimination.
Joey Graziadei And Jenna Johnson
First up are Joey Graziadei of The Bachelor and Jenna Johnson. Joey, who tells the audience he has “golden retriever energy,” in his introduction clip, chooses “Dancing In The Country” by Tyler Hubbard as his personal anthem because it inspired him move to Nashville and open himself up to new experiences, or something like that.
Anyway, Joey tells Jenna that he feels like his background as a tennis instructor will give him the edge because he knows how it feels to be light on his feet, to which Jenna nods and pretends to agree.
Not gonna lie, their cha-cha was impressive, especially for their first dance. Maybe this tennis player is onto something, because this Bachelor really wowed the audience and the judges.
Final scores: 7/7/7
Brooks Nader And Gleb Savchenko
Model Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko are two very attractive people who are clearly very attracted to each other. Or maybe that’s just what they want us to think.
Either way, they aren’t being subtle. The first thing that Brooks says upon seeing her new partner?
Brooks says that her personal anthem is Piece of Me by Britney Spears, which Gleb says will make for a “really hot tango.” But who are we to judge them for flirting their way through practice? Maybe that chemistry will translate to the dance floor.
Well, it doesn’t. On the dance floor, Brooks is a little stiff and unsure of herself. It’s her first dance, so there’s always room for improvement. The judges advise them to “keep the hotness alive,” but also, Brooks needs to work on her core. Brooks seems upset at the judges’ comments, but they assure her she has potential.
Final scores: 6/6/6
Ilona Maher And Alan Bersten
Ilona Maher is a true competitor. The rugby player competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics and took home a bronze medal, but she says that she doesn’t often show her competitive side because “it’s like there’s a chained bear inside of me.” She then warns that competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy might bring that out of her, which will be exciting to see.
She and Alan cha-cha to her personal anthem, the iconic “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain. Ilona might not be the most natural of dancers, but she always looks like she’s having fun and it’s infectious. The judges advise her to let loose and have more fun with it.
Ilona and Alan end up with the same scores as Gleb and Brooks, but their responses couldn’t be more different. Ilona and Alan are overjoyed, jumping with excitement at their very average score, which is endearing.
Final scores: 6/6/6
Reginald VelJohnson And Emma Slater
Remember the dad from Family Matters? Well, he’s doing Dancing With The Stars. He hasn’t been in the spotlight much lately, so it’s really nice to see him on the dance floor.
His partner, Emma Slater, shockingly says she knows him from Die Hard, which he was also in. But real ones know him as Carl Winslow, the tough but fair cop and dad on the beloved 90s sitcom.
Reginald salsas to his anthem, “Motown Philly” by Boyz II Men, exactly the way you’d imagine a 72-year-old man would: extremely slowly. He hardly moves from his spot, to be honest, and his partner works overtime dancing around him.
But it’s hard to judge him too harshly. He’s 72, and he’s a beloved sitcom dad with great energy, and it’s just sweet to see him having fun. Well, it’s hard for everyone to judge him harshly except Bruno Tonioli, who admonishes him to take “more steps next time.”
Still, Reginald scores the same as the other two couples who’ve competed, which is the judges being extra nice because it’s the first episode.
Final scores: 6/5/5
Danny Amendola And Witney Carson
NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola has a “winner’s mentality.” He also says he feels pressure to compete because he’s from Texas and he has the entire state to represent, which feels like a lot to put on himself. Danny is partnered with fan favorite Witney Carson, who’s returning to the show after taking a year off.
Danny says he thinks it will take dedication and discipline to win the Mirrorball, and he says that although the show is outside his comfort zone, he’s doing it for his mom, which is sweet.
He and Witney tango to “A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix]” by Shaboozey and David Guetta, and even though Danny is very disciplined and determined, he’s also stiff and heavy footed on the dance floor. Not terrible, but he’s no Joey Graziadei.
Final scores: 7/6/7
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber
Jenn Tran was last seen on our screens two weeks ago getting dumped on national television during the controversial finale of The Bachelorette. While things didn’t end the way Jenn wanted to on that ABC reality show, she’s hoping it ends differently on this ABC reality show.
Jenn chooses the empowering “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus as her personal anthem, and she and Sasha perform a sultry cha-cha to it. Jenn is a decent dancer and the judges tell her overall, it was a great first dance and she and Sasha have noticeable chemistry.
Final scores: 7/6/6
Tori Spelling And Pasha Paskov
Our next contestant needs no introduction. She’s well known to TV fans from her time as Donna Martin on the 90s teen drama, Beverly Hills 90210. Tori Spelling says she’s “50% Donna, 50% Tori,” and while it’s unclear what that means, she admits that she is a terrible dancer and this entire thing could be a disaster. She also claims she’s passed on doing DWTS a whopping 32 times, which isn’t hard to believe, but since turning 50 and going through a rough divorce, she wants to find herself again.
Tori and Pasha do the foxtrot to “Trustfall” by Pink, and while she’s not the most graceful, she has her big TV smile plastered on her face the entire time like the pro she is. The judges encourage her to be more confident next time.
Final scores: 6/6/5
Chandler Kinney And Brandon Armstrong
If there’s a ringer every season, this season, it’s actress Chandler Kinney, who admits that dance is her first love. She actually went viral when she was a kid for a dance commercial. But it’s fine because Chandler says she’s never done ballroom dance, so somehow, that’s fair. Chandler is also young. So young that she says she grew up watching DTWS.
It’s no surprise that Chandler and her partner Brandon perform a fabulous tango to “HOT TO GO!” by Chappel Roan. They blow the judges away and Carrie Ann Inaba even says that this dance sets the standard high for the season.
Final scores: 8/7/8
Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagech
At 6’11”, Dwight Howard is one of the tallest celebrities to compete on DWTS. He towers above his partner, Daniella Karagech, who is 5’3″, which can make choreography a challenge. She would know: she took home the Mirrorball Trophy in Season 30 with her partner, Iman Shumpert, who stood at 6’5″.
Dwight says he’s doing the show for his family, who have always encouraged him to do it.
Dwight and Daniella salsa to Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” and despite their comical height difference, the duo manage to find a good rhythm together. Derek Hough says that watching them dance is like watching a giraffe and a gazelle dance, but the two still managed to impress the judges.
Final scores: 8/7/7
Eric Roberts And Britt Stewart
Screen icon Eric Roberts says that he was asked to do DWTS 19 years ago, and couldn’t due to a filming commitment, so he’s extra excited to be competing this year. Eric struggles with some physical limitations due to an accident, so Britt will have to be extra careful working with him.
Eric and Britt perform a slower-paced cha-cha to “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger, which feels fitting for Eric. Eric mouths along the lyrics to the song throughout the entire performance, and while it’s not the greatest dance, he makes it through with a smile.
It should be noted that when the camera panned to his family in the audience, it did not include his famous sister, Julia Roberts, nor his famous daughter, Emma Roberts. Here’s hoping we get a cameo from one of them this season, more likely Emma, since he’s famously estranged from Julia.
Final scores: 5/5/5
Phaedra Parks And Val Chmerkoskiy
Reality royalty Phaedra Parks is a multi-threat: Not only has she starred on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Traitors, she’s also an attorney, an author, a mother and a mortician. She’s also not above delivering some classic Housewives shade while she’s training, claiming she always wanted to come and support other Housewives who competed on DWTS, but they always got eliminated before she could make it.
Phaedra chooses Whitney Houston’s iconic “I’m Every Woman” for her cha-cha, and the dance is as dramatic as a Housewives‘ reunion, with Phaedra being carried down the stage by sequin-cloaked male dancers. The dance is fun and spirited, although the judges admit there is room for growth. They advise her to focus more on the details next time.
Final scores: 7/6/6
Stephen Nedoroscik And Rylee Arnold
Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik made a splash at the 2024 Paris Olympics with his impressive pommel horse routine, going viral as “the Pommel Horse Guy” and making everyone fall in love with him. Quirky and relatable, Stephen is also vision-impaired, which makes his Olympic feat all the more impressive.
He and partner Rylee Arnold perform the jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, and Stephen proves that his Olympic win was no fluke. He’s loose and limber, and even throws in a couple cartwheels to really show off. The judges are wowed and they see bright things in Stephen’s future.
Final scores: 7/7/7
Anna Delvey And Ezra Sosa
Dancing With The Stars really saved the “best” for last. By far the season’s most notorious contestant, Anna Delvey took the final spot of the night. Confoundingly, the show keeps referring to Anna as a “fashionista and entrepreneur,” which is one way to put it.
Of course, Anna became famous for scamming her way into New York’s social scene by pretending to be a German heiress. Her story quickly became a tabloid sensation, and it was portrayed in various documentaries and shows. She served time for grand larceny, and is currently on house arrest for overstaying her visa, but is somehow still allowed to compete on the show, bedazzled ankle monitor and all.
Anna says she’s doing the show because she wants to try something “new” and she hopes to turn peoples’ negative opinions of her around. Anna also says she’s “reinvented” herself many times, which is very true, and now she plans to become a ballroom dancer.
Anna and Ezra perform a cha-cha to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. The performance is… a bit forced. At some points, Ezra has to prod Anna to perform, as she almost appears uninterested. She’s making it hard to like her, and it’s unclear whether audiences will keep her around.
When Julianne Hough asks her how she feels after the dance, Anna dryly responds, “I feel happy that I don’t have to do this dance again.”
Final scores: 6/6/6
Tune in next week to see which celebrities are eliminated during a double-elimination. Dancing With The Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (ET/PST) on ABC and Disney+.
