The competition is fierce on Dancing With the Stars, but season 33 went on a brief hiatus on Tuesday, October 1, due to a scheduling conflict.
The third episode of the season will not air until Tuesday, October 8, since all of the major broadcast networks halted their usual programming to show the vice presidential debate between Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio senator JD Vance — who are running alongside Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump on the Republican ticket, respectively — in New York City on Tuesday night.
Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars debuted on September 17, with Tori Spelling, Phaedra Parks, Anna Delvey, Joey Graziadei, Jenn Tran and Stephen Nedoroscik among the cast members vying for the mirrorball trophy. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough reprised their roles as hosts, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough returned as judges.
Although all of the competitors escaped elimination during the premiere, two couples were sent home during the September 24 episode: Delvey and her partner, Ezra Sosa, and Spelling and her partner, Pasha Pashkov.
Delvey, 33, was blunt when asked what she would take away from her experience on the ABC reality series, replying, “Nothing.”
Julianne, 36, took the comment in stride, responding, “There you have it, absolutely nothing,” while Ribeiro, 53, quipped, “You had fun, stop it.”
Spelling, for her part, had kinder words to share about her time on Dancing With the Stars, exclusively telling Us Weekly that she was thankful for it despite her early exit.
“It was truly an unbelievable journey and experience,” she said. “Obviously, I felt like I was just starting, and I was seeing such a huge change in myself, physically and mentally [and] emotionally. I wanted to keep going, obviously, but I’m grateful I did it.”
Spelling, 51, had the support of her children — she shares Liam, 17, Stella, 16, Hattie, 12, Finn, 12, and Beau, 7, with estranged husband Dean McDermott — throughout her journey and was glad her kids saw her “facing her fears” during the competition.
“I came home, like, a better version of myself and a better mom every day because … I was feeling so much personal growth and happiness and tapping into things,” she explained. “I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I haven’t felt this happy in so long for something I’m doing for me.’ Because I think I gave up a huge part of myself somewhere along this journey called life, and now I tapped into that, so I’m going to keep doing me.”
Spelling added that she will “1,000 percent” keep dancing after the show. “I don’t know what that looks like, but I would love to [continue],” she said. “I found something that really gives me joy, and I realized I’m good at it. … I made myself proud.”
Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, October 8, at 8 p.m. ET.
