Reality Roundup: Sept. 20

“Dancing with the Stars” Season 33 Episode 1

After much anticipation, Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars” has finally premiered, and the celebrities were not messing around on the dance floor.

The premiere kicked off with all of the pros together doing an electric routine, followed by their celebrity partners’ introductions.

There was no elimination on premiere night, but the stars still brought their A-game.

First to hit the dance floor was Bachelor Nation’s Joey Graziadei, who performed a cha-cha with his partner Jenna Johnson.

Graziadei’s routine was the perfect start to a night full of amazing dances, showing his true potential and earning him all sevens from the judges for a total of 21 out of 30.

Supermodel and covergirl Brooks Nader was next up with her partner Gleb Savchenko.

The undoubtedly gorgeous partners danced a tango to “Piece of Me” by Brittany Spears and earned a score of 18 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.

Ilona Maher felt like a woman during her spicy Cha Cha with partner Alan Bersten to Shania Twain’s hit song.

The Olympian received a six from all three judges, but is already a fan favorite with a ton of potential.

“Family Matters” dad Reginald VelJohnson tried to bust a move during his salsa with partner Emma Slater, but unfortunately ended up on the lower end of the leaderboard.

Despite his low score of 16, VelJohnson’s energy was precious and contagious, and it will be fun to see how he progresses.

Witney Carson has returned to the dance floor as a pro after taking a season off and is partnered with former NFL wide receiver Danny Amendola. They danced a tango and scored a 20 out of 30 from the judges panel.

It’s already clear to fans that this season of DWTS is going to be a tight race, as almost every celebrity stepped out and pleasantly surprised the audience.

Tori Spelling was no stranger to being pleasantly surprising.

The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star danced a pretty foxtrot with her partner Pasha Pashkov, scoring them a 17 for the night.

The last-minute addition to the Season 33 DWTS cast was the 2024 Bachelorette Jenn Tran.

After going through a public heartbreak, she decided to go on “Dancing with the Stars” in less than 24 hours. As the reality star said in her package, “as one door closes, another one opens.”

Partnered with Sasha Farber, the pair performed yet another Cha Cha to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. Tran earned herself a 19 out of 20 after dancing to the very fitting track.

Chandler Kinney proved to be a contestant to look out for this season, landing herself on the top of the leaderboard with a score of 23 out of 30 for her tango with Brandon Armstrong.

Kinney and Armstrong have clear chemistry and brother-sister vibes. The producers definitely made a good decision pairing them together, and fans can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Inaba must have been feeling extra generous during the premiere, giving a higher score than the other judges for most of the celebrities’ routines.

Standing at 6-foot-10, Dwight Howard is one of the tallest celebrities to compete on DWTS. Ironically, he is paired with one of the shortest female pros: Daniella Karagach.

Karagach, however, is no stranger to competing with extremely tall celebrities, as she was partnered with and won the Mirrorball trophy with Iman Shumpert during Season 30.

Howard and Karagach showed off mind-boggling tricks, using his height and strength to their advantage during their high-energy salsa, which earned a 22.

Next to dance was actor Eric Roberts and his partner Britt Stewart. The duo performed a high-energy Cha Cha to “Old Time Rock and Roll,” but unfortunately landed at the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 15 out of 30.

Roberts and Stewart were followed by fan-favorite pro Val Chmerkovskiy and his celebrity partner Phaedra Parks. The two earned a 19 out of 30 for their impressive Cha Cha.

The next celebrity to step out on the dance floor was Stephen Nedoroscik. He and his partner Rylee Arnold performed an amazing, jam-packed jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now,” with patterns of a Rubix cube on the screens filling the ballroom.

The Olympian and Penn State alum earned a 21 for his energetic routine, tying for third place with Graziadei.

Last, and maybe least, to dance was Anna Delvey.

Delvey is partnered with first-time pro Ezra Sosa, and they performed a Cha Cha to hit song “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.

Although it was only week one, Delvey did not seem like she had much potential. But despite her low-energy movements, she earned an 18 out of 30 for the night.

The competition will heat up next week on “Dancing with the Stars,” with a double elimination looming as the celebrities partake in “Oscars Night.”

Who will win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy? It is too early to say.

Sarah Gavlak is a third-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.