State Champ Radio dancing with the stars
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Normani knows her way around the Dancing with the Stars dance floor. The former Fifth Harmony member and solo star came in third place during her run in season 24 and she was back on the boards on Tuesday night (Nov. 25) to lend a surprise hand to Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles during last night’s season 34 finale.
Chiles made her entrance in style to the strains of Beyoncé’s “Bow Down (Homecoming Live),” seated regally on a silvery couch shaped like a pair of lips as four hunky backup dancers spun her around in the air and then brought her back to the ground, where she ripped off a series of end-over-end round-offs while rocking a black bra top and leather pants with her first name down one leg.
Joined by a group of eight backup dancers, Chiles ripped off a series of fierce body rolls, spins and an easy-as-pie standing backflip as Bey growled “bow down b–ches!” Then, halfway through the routine, Chiles sprinted to a chain link fence at the back of the floor and climbed up as the male dancers lifted the section of fence and laid it flat, revealing Normani striking a pose underneath.
With the music, and vibe, shifting to Normani’s 2019 Billboard Hot 100 No. 33 debut solo hit “Motivation,” Chiles leapt off the fence to join ‘Mani on the floor. The women touched hands and proceeded to tear it up with a freestyle routine that had them popping their hips and executing perfectly coordinated, side-by-side cartwheels.
With Normani twerking up on the fence, Chiles moved center stage with professional dancing partner Ezra Sosa for a final round of dips, sways and high leaps that helped earn the tumbler third place in this year’s competition.
Speaking to E! News afterwards, Chiles said that the double-up was Normani’s idea. “She’s the one that actually said, ‘I think I should be in your freestyle,’” Chiles said, describing how Normani pitched the idea while attending a taping as an audience member in late September. “I didn’t know she was serious until her manager called me and was like, ‘No, she’s being serious. She wants to be in it.’”
Chiles did not hesitate, detailing how she told Sosa that they were definitely going to include the pop singer in their routine. “We’re gonna make it one of the most iconic freestyles,” Chiles said she told Sosa of the dance that judge Carrie Ann Inaba dubbed the best freestyle routine she’s seen in the show’s 20-year history.
Watch Chiles and Normani dance below.
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He has danced the Paso Doble, the Jive, the Foxtrot, and he’s an expert at handling deadly wildlife. When the votes were counted, and the results announced Tuesday night (Nov. 25), Robert Irwin added the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy to his growing list of accomplishments.
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At night’s end, Irwin and his dance partner Witney Carson were crowned champions of Dancing With The Stars, completing its 34th season.
Irwin has followed in the footsteps of his late father, the environmentalist and beloved TV star Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin. And with his DWTS win, the 21-year-old Australian follows the journey of his own sister Bindi, who won the competition back in 2015, for season 21.
For the finale, the final five of Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin squared off, as the eliminated contestants watched on and joined in on the excitement.
For the very first time, the remaining couples performed three separate new dances, including the judges’ choice, instant dance challenge and freestyle rounds.
In the end, the man from down under came out on top.
The livewire Aussie had looked the goods throughout the season, with his effortless routines which blended agility, strength, poise and a ready smile. However, Irwin sent a fright through his fanbase when, on the eve of the finale, it was revealed that he was struggling with injury, and was dealing with a rib complaint.
Following “11 weeks of crazy, vigorous, hard dancing,” Carson said in a TikTok, “my body is feeling it. Robert’s body is feeling it. We’re, like, kind of falling apart right now. Just trying to keep it together for, like, two more days. Literally today and tomorrow, and then it’s over.”
Irwin’s “ribs have been killing him,” she revealed. He played through pain, and he’s now a DWTS champion, having closely watched, and learned from, his sister’s winning run a decade ago with Derek Hough.
Season 34 of DWTS aired and streamed simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ each Tuesday, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.
Final results:
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten (5th Place)
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach (4th Place)
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa (3rd Place)
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy (2nd Place)
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson (WINNER)
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Robert Irwin is just three routines away from being the second member of his family to hoist the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The conservationist who has wowed the crowds every week on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars did it again on Tuesday night’s (Nov. 18) Prince-themed episode, when he and partner Witney Carson landed one perfect score and one near-perfect rating for their flawless routines.
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The couple danced a jive to Prince & the Revolution’s “Baby I’m a Star,” which kicked off with Irwin leaping off the judge’s table in perfect time to one of the late pop icon’s high-pitched squeals, then sliding on his knees toward Carson and doing a gravity-defying stand-up move from a prone, flat-on-the-floor position.
From there, the couple pulled off fancy footwork, spins and acrobatic moves that would have made the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer proud, including a tricky maneuver where Carson flipped Irwin over her back, earning them a perfect score of 30.
Their sensual routine to Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL’s “WOW” found the pair dressed in leather, sheer tops and iridescent purple for a stunning Viennese Waltz in which they swooned around the floor, their bodies moving in time as one. It ended with Irwin spinning Carson in circles as she hovered just inches above the floor before he let go and slid on his knees to meet her for a final, sensual embrace.
Irwin’s younger sister, Bindi Irwin, won season 21 of DWTS in 2015.
The night also featured the first drop-in from Zac Efron (The Iron Claw), who showed up to support younger brother Dylan Efron (The Traitors), who made it through to the finale with a tango to Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” and a second dance to “Kiss,” which earned Efron and professional partner Daniella Karagach a 28 out of 30.
And, because that’s how these things go, someone had to have their dance card punched for the final time. Despite getting the third-highest score of the night for their cha cha to “1999” and a waltz to “Slow Love,” MomTok and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas were sent home in what the internet deemed a “shocking” elimination.
The three-hour, three-round season 34 finale (Nov. 25) will feature influencer Alix Earle with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, Efron and Karagach, Irwin and Carson, gymnast Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa and Parent Trap actress Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten; the show will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Watch Irwin’s Dancing With the Stars routine to Prince’s “WOW” and “Baby I’m a Star” below:
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Dancing With The Stars celebrated its own, 20th Birthday Party on Tuesday night (Oct. 11), and Robert Irwin was handing out the gifts.
Party night featured two unique rounds of dance. The first saw couples complete routines set to the songs of freestyle routines from earlier DWTS seasons. Then, each celebrity performed with a former Mirrorball champion in the relay dance round, which pitted two couples, toe-to-toe.
Irwin, the Australian conservationist, and his dance partner Witney Carson completed the first perfect individual score of the season, nabbing 40 out of a possible 40. They did so to the tune of his elder sister, season 20 champ Bindi Irwin’s freestyle song as a tribute to their father, the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin.
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In an embarrassment of riches, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach; Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy; and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas also scored perfect rounds.
For his Relay Jive, Irwin teamed up with Xochitl Gomez (season 33 champion), facing off against Alix Earle and Joey Graziadei, swinging their hips to Olly Murs’ “Dance with Me Tonight.” Dressed in baby blue, Irwin looked at home as he does in a lion’s den, as he completed floor slides, leaps and showed off his fancy footwork. Earle and Graziadei, wearing red, had the second use on the ballroom floor. Irwin and Gomez were deemed winners, collecting the two bonus points.
The party ended on a bum note for Andy Richter and Emma Slater, who notched the lowest number of points and were eliminated from the competition.
Next week is Prince Night, which also serve as the semi-finals, while the winner will be crowned Nov. 25 following ABC’s three-hour finale. Watch Irwin’s Relay Jive below.
20th Birthday Party Leaderboard Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 42Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 42Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 42Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 40Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 39Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 36Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 29 (ELIMINATED)
Michael Tullberg / Flavor Flav / Dancing With The Stars
Legendary hypeman Flavor Flav admits he made a mistake while being a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Flavor Flav (we bet you sang his name) admitted he didn’t mean to ruin Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy‘s perfect score during Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.
Flav told the website that he meant to give a couple a 10, not a 9, but was not allowed to change his score.
“I gave them a nine which was an accident. I really wanted to give them a 10, but they wouldn’t let me change it,” the 66-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee told PEOPLE.
He continued, “I went, ‘No. No, that was an accident. I don’t want to give them a nine. I want to give them a 10.’ But they was like, ‘Flavor, it’s already locked in. You can’t change it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh man.’”
“That’s how the game goes. You know what I’m saying?”
Flav shared his criteria for what he believes deserves a 10, telling PEOPLE that he looks “for precision” and “preciseness.”
He also tried to explain himself once again on his X, formerly Twitter account, writing:
As a judge on #DWTS,,, you hit your score on a computer first,,, then hold up the sign. I accidentally hit 9 for someone and told the crew I meant to hit 10,,, and they said they can’t change it and there’s nothing I can do. That girl deserved perfect 10s.
Damn Flav.
Flav’s time on the popular dancing competition show didn’t go over too well with some viewers, and they let their frustration be known on social media.
You can see those reactions below.
Michael Tullberg / Flavor Flav / Dancing With The Stars
Legendary hypeman Flavor Flav admits he made a mistake while being a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Flavor Flav (we bet you sang his name) admitted he didn’t mean to ruin Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy‘s perfect score during Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.
Flav told the website that he meant to give a couple a 10, not a 9, but was not allowed to change his score.
“I gave them a nine which was an accident. I really wanted to give them a 10, but they wouldn’t let me change it,” the 66-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee told PEOPLE.
He continued, “I went, ‘No. No, that was an accident. I don’t want to give them a nine. I want to give them a 10.’ But they was like, ‘Flavor, it’s already locked in. You can’t change it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh man.’”
“That’s how the game goes. You know what I’m saying?”
Flav shared his criteria for what he believes deserves a 10, telling PEOPLE that he looks “for precision” and “preciseness.”
He also tried to explain himself once again on his X, formerly Twitter account, writing:
As a judge on #DWTS,,, you hit your score on a computer first,,, then hold up the sign. I accidentally hit 9 for someone and told the crew I meant to hit 10,,, and they said they can’t change it and there’s nothing I can do. That girl deserved perfect 10s.
Damn Flav.
Flav’s time on the popular dancing competition show didn’t go over too well with some viewers, and they let their frustration be known on social media.
You can see those reactions below.
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Alix Earle’s performance on the latest episode of Dancing With the Stars may have been a nine on Flavor Flav‘s scorecard, but in his heart, it was a 10.
In a couple of Wednesday (Nov. 5) posts on X, the Public Enemy rapper — who served as a guest judge on the program’s broadcast the night prior — explained that he had intended to give the influencer and pro dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy a perfect score for their routine set to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Instead, Flav says he plugged in the number nine by mistake.
“As a judge on #DWTS,,, you hit your score on a computer first,,, then hold up the sign,” he wrote. “I accidentally hit 9 for someone and told the crew I meant to hit 10,,, and they said they can’t change it and there’s nothing I can do. That girl deserved perfect 10s.”
In a second post, Flav went on to point out that the snafu was why he’d been captured on camera “looking down at the computer confused” after punching in his score.
“Couldn’t get the words out because I was watching the computer and then couldn’t find the other paddle cuz I was ready to go with my 10,” he added. “I found [Earle] afterwards and apologized and let her know what happen , she was cool.”
If the rapper had given Earle the score he’d intended, she and Chmerkovskiy would have received perfect numbers across the board for the first time this season. They’d also come close to the feat on last week’s episode, earning 39/40 for a performance set to Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend.”
Flav also spoke about the situation while still on the DWTS set, telling People, “I gave them a nine which was an accident. I really wanted to give them a 10, but they wouldn’t let me change it.”
Billboard has reached out to the TV show for comment.
Despite not getting the best possible score, Earle can still celebrate knowing that she’s advancing to the next round. This week’s episode — which had a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme — resulted in Danielle Fishel getting sent home, while Jen Affleck and former Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik were eliminated the week before that.
Also still in the game are Dylan Efron, Andy Richter, Whitney Leavitt, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin. The next episode will air on Nov. 11 and celebrates the 20th anniversary of DWTS.
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Robert Irwin, Alix Earle and Whitney Leavitt rocked, so too did Chicago, while one unfortunate couple rolled out of the competition as Dancing With The Stars celebrated Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.
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On Tuesday night (Oct. 4), all eyes were on Irwin, once again, as the Australian conversationist and his dancing pro partner Witney Carson hit the main floor.
Drenched in red light, Irwin, son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and younger brother of Bindi, who won the 21st season of DWTS, in 2015, transformed into a matador for a paso doble to The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump.”
The judges loved the routine, as Irwin and Carson were awarded 38 out of 40, matching their season-high from last week’s Halloween Night. Only the teams of Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas (both with 39/40), fared better.
No pairing has yet landed a perfect score in this 34th season of DWTS.
However, Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov failed to hit the right note with their contemporary dance to “Dream On” by Aerosmith, which came in at the bottom of the pack with 34/40. The lowest score of the night means elimination, so the actress and her pro partner are out. Live votes are cast during the East Coast airing and ends shortly after the final performance is completed.
Also on Rock Hall night, the group dances returned with a bang as the cast was evenly split in two, and teamed up alongside one of the co-hosts, Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro.
The winner was Ribeiro’s “Team Chicago” performance, with Danielle (team captain) and Pasha; Whitney and Mark; Jordan and Ezra; and Dylan and Daniella, earning a perfect 40/40.
Chicago, which was inducted into the Rock Hall in the class of 2016, provided the score with a rendition of “25 or 6 to 4.”
Dancing with the Stars airs live Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu. The finale will be on Nov. 25.
Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Night Scores
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 36/40Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 39/40Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 30/40Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 39/40Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: 34/40 (ELIMINATED)Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 37/40Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 38/40Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 38/40
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Former Dancing With the Stars pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd didn’t dance around their feelings on the subject of Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik being cast as a professional dancer on the show.
On a recent episode of Murgatroyd’s The Penthouse With Peta podcast, she and Chmerkovskiy — who both previously served as resident pros in past seasons of the competition series and have been married since 2017 — questioned Ravnik’s place on the program. After accompanying the pop superstar on her global Eras Tour for nearly two years, the Slovenian-born dancer joined the cast of DWTS as a coach in August.
“Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars,” Chmerkovskiy said frankly. “There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership.”
“Bro, I’m getting emotional,” he continued, rejecting Murgatroyd’s claim that Ravnik should be given “grace” as it’s only his first season on the show. “It is absurd. It’s unreal how blind we have to be, and God forbid say what’s obviously there. He had no idea what the foxtrot is supposed to look like. How are you going to expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different?”
Billboard has reached out to DWTS producers for comment.
The podcast comes shortly after Ravnik advanced to the next round of DWTS with his celebrity partner, Jen Affleck of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, following their performance on a Wicked-themed episode of the show featuring guest judge Jon M. Chu. The duo scored 8’s across the board — but Murgatroyd said she thinks Affleck is at a disadvantage with the Eras Tour alum as her partner.
“I feel bad, because she’s not getting taught the basics that she needs to,” said the podcaster. “He’s a Taylor Swift dancer, it’s the obvious reason why he was hired — apart from that, he’s a lovely guy, he looks great, he’s a great dancer.”
Despite Ravnik’s positive qualities, Murgatroyd added: “Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”
The 34th season of DWTS kicked off in mid-September. In addition to Affleck, Whitney Leavitt — also of Mormon Wives fame — as well as Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Scott Hoying of Pentatonix, Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony, Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin and Danielle Fishel were cast as the show’s latest flock of celebrity amateur dancers.
And despite still coming down from the high of Swift’s groundbreaking Eras trek, Ravnik expressed how excited he was to be joining DWTS as a pro following his casting announcement in August. “I traveled all around the world with Eras Tour, and now I’m coming to the ballroom stage for Dancing With the Stars,” he said at the time in video statement on Good Morning America. “Mirrorball never goes out of style, and we are ready to win it.”
See Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd’s full discussion about Ravnik on DWTS below.
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Robert Irwin tangles with snakes during the day, nails dolphin dives at night. And based on his latest performance on Dancing With The Stars, the Australian wildlife conservationist should go far in the competition.
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On Tuesday night (Oct. 21), the DWTS celebrities celebrated the forthcoming sequel to Jon M. Chu’s Wicked with routines set to songs from the popular musical-turned-film. Chu even stopped by to join regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Irwin gave it his best shot with a jazz performance of “Dancing Through Life”. The 21-year-old and his professional partner Witney Carson completed an energetic, free-flowing performance with smiles glued to their faces. Irwin gave viewers a little more than they bargained with a perfect dolphin dive early in their routine, and pulled off a floor slide that’d make Bruce Springsteen proud.
When the votes were counted, 39 out of a possible 40 points went to the pairings of Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, while Irwin and Carson nabbed nines from all four of the judges, for 36/40.
Irwin, the son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, will be hoping to emulate the success of his older sister Bindi, who won the 21st season of DWTS, in 2015.
The remaining contestants in this 34th season of Dancing With the Star includes TV personality Dylan Efron and influencer Jen Affleck. However, Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold are no longer competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, following their elimination on Tuesday evening.
Dancing with the Stars airs live Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu. The finale will be on Nov. 25.
See the full list of scores from “Wicked Night” (week six) of DWTS season 34 below.
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 35/40
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 36/40
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 39/40
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 32/40
Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 27/40
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 36/40
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik: 32/40
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: 36/40
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 39/40
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold: 28/40 (ELIMINATED)
