The leader board keeps changing on Dancing With the Stars so it’s anybody’s guess who is going to make it to the end. TV Insider sat down with two-time mirror ball champion Cheryl Burke, host of the podcast Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans, to get her thoughts and picks on which couples are going to be there for the show’s finale!
“I think Ilona [Maher] will make it to the finals,” Burke says. “Joey [Graziadei], too. Possibly Chandler [Kinney]. I can’t tell on the rest.” It may come down to who can show vulnerability in these remaining weeks. “It’s about being human and vulnerable,” Burke adds. “That’s Ilona’s superpower. It’s actually everyone’s but the question is – are you courageous enough to use it?”
The best dancer isn’t necessarily always the one who goes home with the coveted Len Goodman mirror ball trophy, Burke theorizes. She is offering insights into other factors that may help tip the scales in a couple’s favor. Read on to get her insights!
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten
While Olympic rugby player Maher has received lower scores than other couples, she’s getting “10’s” from fans because she hasn’t been afraid to be vulnerable. “I don’t think anyone has the vulnerability that she has,” Burke says. “Ilona’s comfortable in her own skin. She’s not altering who she is. She’s not changing her personality.”
Being who you are and not being afraid to show it can actually, in some cases, trump dance ability, Burke theorizes. “What you see is what you get with her. I see her vulnerability through her content on social media. I can tell she really wants to be there. She’s wanted perfectionism but that should never be the goal. It’s the imperfection that reaches people. We’re all imperfect,” adds Burke. “It’s Ilona’s imperfection that makes people want to root for her.”
Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach
Burke knows all about dealing with a height difference as Karagach is with Howard; in Season 11, she was paired with basketball star-turned-actor Rick Fox, who is 6’7”. “That’s not even close,” Burke offers. “I’m pretty sure Dwight’s even taller [Note: he’s 6’10”]. He’s lucky to have Daniella because she’s an amazing ballroom dancer and is well-respected within the industry. She’s willing to think outside the box.”
Indeed. Karagach’s innovative choreography has resulted in some creative routines – most notably the duo’s contemporary dance on Halloween, which earned the season’s first “10.” “You could tell she wanted him to do really well,” Burke offers. “On Halloween night, they were pretty spectacular.”
Burke adds that Howard, too, is bringing something priceless to the competition – the vulnerability he’s showing in his pre-dance video packages. Burke has long believed that the package can be even more powerful in terms of couples getting votes than a great dance might. “I believe that one reason why Dwight is still in this is that his packages are the most real, the most vulnerable,” Burke says. “You’ve seen his struggles. His and Daniella’s packages have saved them.”
“Phaedra [Parks] went home before Dwight because he admitted in his package that he still gets nervous,” Burke points out. “He said he was afraid of failure. Phaedra and Val [Chmerkovskiy] had a ‘tension’ package. Who are you going to vote for? People underestimate how powerful the packages are.”
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
Like judge Derek Hough, Burke says that she was a bit nervous as to whether or not the former New England Patriots wide receiver would emerge as a true contender. “Their contemporary was super-emotional,” Burke says. “There’s a reason why they were trending on social media.”
Burke credits the show’s executive producer, Deena Katz, the genius who pairs stars with pros, for matching Amendola and Carson – as well as the other pairs – together. “Deena knows the pros so well,” Burke says. “She knows how to match each personality with who she’s going to cast on the show.”
Pairing a focused athlete like Amendola with Carson was the way to go. “Witney is pretty chill,” Burke says. “She’s lowkey. She’s not an extrovert. There’s a calmness to her. She’s a true professional. I think she’s the pro [who’s still in the competition] who has the most experience. I see her pacing herself and Danny. I was impressed with their lifts. We know Danny can lift – but now, we’re going to see how he does [in non-lift dances].”
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson
“He’s one of my finalists, for sure,” predicts Burke, who points out, “There’s never been a Bachelor win. He’s the best one from that series that Dancing With the Stars has ever had.” Burke says that while Graziadei isn’t a professional athlete, he does possess some of the same traits. “He’s an athlete, a tennis player,” she says. “He knows how to teach and how to be a student. He’s got the popularity of The Bachelor franchise behind him, too.”
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold
There’s about six years in terms of an age difference between Nedoroscik and Arnold but the chemistry between puts them closer in age. Arnold’s been shining this season as she has a partner who has more than social media popularity; Nedoroscik has genuine athletic/dance ability. It doesn’t hurt that they’re adorable, too.
“They are America’s sweethearts,” says Burke. However, she’s not sure how much longer they’ll be in the competition. “He’s an athlete, too, so who knows? Rylee’s strength is the contemporary style. She did an amazing job with the choreography on that dance.”
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong
Armstrong’s fans are still smarting over his early ejection in Season 32 when he and social media star/singer Lele Pons were given the boot in the seventh week (despite scoring higher than three other couples that night). DWTS viewers love to see a pro who’s never one before experience that thrill of taking home the trophy.
What could be hurting this duo, Burke argues, is compelling packages. “I think what’s helped them is Carrie Ann [Inaba] not giving them a ‘10’ – yet,” Burke says. “Everyone wants to see a struggle. If you’re not struggling, you can be forgotten about. You want people to root for you. They root for people who improve.”
Burke’s advice for this couple is to be as real as possible. “I think it could help them if they had an ‘off’ week,” the pro dancer suggests. “Whether that’s a struggle in the rehearsal space or not – but you can’t force it.”
Dancing With the Stars, Returns, Tuesday, November 12, 8/7c, ABC