'Dancing with the Stars' week 2: injuries, cheerleading, and a double elimination!
“Dancing with the Stars” week two saw some major improvements from much of the competition along with the first double elimination.
Actor Corey Feldman and NBA star Baron Davis were cut in the last few minutes of the show, following a lackluster cha cha and samba, respectively.
Meanwhile, Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson tied for the top of the leader board with “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas, with 37 out of 50 for both weeks.
“Crikey is the word. This whole thing is so surreal, I’m just happy that I get to be in this ballroom. I never in a million years thought this was how it was going to go,” Irwin told our Courtney Tezeno.
Irwin and Carson gushed about rehearsing together, admitting this week was “a little bit harder of a challenge” because it was more technical.
But dancing is clearly in the Irwin’s family genes, as he shared the cutest video of himself dancing with his niece, Grace, on social media last week.
“Out of anyone in the Irwin family, I think it’s safe to say Grace has got the most style, the most dancing prowess. I mean, she just owns it. She is just one of the lights of our lives, she is just so incredible and to watch her in the ballroom taking all this in, it brings so many memories of me being a little kid watching my sister10 years ago. So now to have this full circle moment and watch her just light up in the audience when Uncle Robert and Witney come out to dance, it’s just so beautiful. I love that kid more than anything.”
Another person receiving major love from the audience is Elaine Hendrix, who was cheered on again during her cheerleading themed jive to “Mickey” by her “Parent Trap” co-star Lisa Ann Walter.
“This whole thing is a dream come true. I have a lot of injuries that I’m fighting through, but it’s worth it because I may never get this chance again,” Hendrix told Courtney. “So when it came up, I said yes, absolutely and here I am and I’m relishing every moment.”
Also working through an injury was “Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel, who had a pulled hamstring she powered through to do a cha cha.
“We’ve had lots of modifications,” Fishel said, adding they put the cartwheel they had planned on hold for a couple days.
“I love his choreography so much I did not want to change it unless I really needed to,” Fishel said. “So once I got to meet with my orthopedic surgeon and he told me I wasn’t going to need surgery, I was like, ok, then let me test this out a little bit, and tonight it felt great.”
Fishel has also been the ultimate hype woman for the cast, cheering on her fellow competitors after every dance.
“Everyone wants to be here so badly and everyone here is working so hard,” she said tearing up. “And everyone here is so talented and we’re all being vulnerable and laying it on the line. This isn’t easy for anyone, especially the pros who work so hard to make us look good. I just want everyone to know how special they are and how incredible what I think they’re doing is.”
Several stars are already noticing a difference to their physicality, like Dylan Efron.
“I’m losing weight, because all we’re doing is so much weight, they had to take in my pants,” he said. “I’m just shrinking a little bit!”
Next week is TikTok week, with season 31 champ Charli D’Amelio dropping by, a perfect fit since she got her start on TikTok.
“Dancing with the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC.
