Kristyn Burtt

Published Nov 23, 2024, 3:25 AM

Our friend Kristyn Burtt is joining us to close out the hot topics and headlines for the semi finals and finale week. This week we cover the semi finals and of course make our predictions for the finale but it has also been a busy week. Kristyn and Cheryl chat through the stories surrounding the judges, from who is supporting the backlash Carrie Ann Inaba has been getting (I mean really where has Keo been? ), to who on the judging panel will stay and who will go. Joey and Ilona are having a little too much fun with the Bachelorette rumors, Jenn Tran is having major FOMO after her elimination and admitted to tears when she found out she was not going to be on tour, and finally it seems that Artem and Nikki have come to a peaceful resolution. These headlines and more today. 

This is sex Lies and Spray Tans with Me, Cheryl Burke and iHeartRadio podcast. Hey guys, welcome back to sex Lizes and Spray Tans, your favorite podcast that gives you all things Dancing with the Stars, current headlines and hot topics. We've decided that there is really only one person to close this Dancing with the Stars season out, so joining us again today and next week for the finale week is the one and only Kristen Burt. I'm so happy that you're back. Everyone loves you here as a part of the sex Lies in Spray Tans family, and they love our chemistry and our banter. So I'm happy to have you back.

Thank you. Fun way to wrap up the season, or almost wrap up the season.

It's bittersweet, Like for me, I don't know. I feel like it went by so fast kind of slow too at the same time, but I can't believe it's already heading into the finale. I can't believe it.

Well, it does feel like we were just at the premiere and that everything was ramping up, and a lot of things have developed over the seas and a lot of really good things. I think the show is moving in a positive direction. So I'm really happy to see that.

I saw your TikTok when you were talking about, you know, the New York Times article, which is great. It was a great article. You want to summarize it a little bit.

Yeah, the New York Times article really focused in on how they captured the gen Z audience, and I think that that has been a really big deal obviously TikTok and grabbing that younger viewer because the median age was sixty three and a half before them, and there is nothing wrong with sixty three and a half year old watching it, but a lot of people have always said, like I've been watching this with my mom or my grandmother, and now that we have more gen Z, it really is an intra generational show, which I think is incredible. And so it's one of those wonderful things that TikTok has recaptured some of the magic. But they were some really nice shout outs too, nice shout outs to Riley and really embracing the social media aspect and bringing the other pros along with that. And then Ezra, which this was my favorite, you know, turning lemons into lemonade. Sure, he had the controversial celebrity this season, but he turned it into lemonade. He became like the little like gossip behind the scenes and everything else. And I think it allowed the social media team to see, oh, we should start doing more second screen experiences, which we were seeing with Emma and Ezra over the last couple of weeks, which is incredible.

I think Ezra should be the social media team too, as far as I'm concerned.

I mean, honestly, he's done such a great job and just being like the little spy and you know, all the jokes with Brooks and glob and things like that, and even Sasha and Jen. It's been fun to watch.

Only he can get away with it because he has his innocence about him that he's just like, you know, he's messing around. But like obviously my algorithm is all things dwts on TikTok. So every time I go to the for you page, it, I mean, like the reviews that you get just not even from influencers, but from like just normal people that are watching the show. Gen zers that you know may not have the blue check mark next to their name, but they are heavily invested. And I actually listen to everybody, and it is fascinating to get their take.

Actually it is because it's a fresh perspective for those of us who have been around for twenty years. It's pretty amazing to see a different eye and a different view. And sometimes it's a little wrong in terms of like the lore and like the history of the show. I'm like, well, they almost have the story, but not quite. But this is a way for all of us, the veteran you know, viewers and fans, to welcome them in and like get them caught up on what has happened in the past thirty three seasons ahead of this year.

I wish there was an easier way to watch reruns, you know, like for me when I've been doing these rewatches when I did want seasons one through three. Thank god for shut out again to dailymotion dot Com because they were able to also record the packages and the judges scores and their comments, and it's so helpful to see as a whole. But I remember a long time ago, before some of these gen z ers were born, they used to rerun some of the episodes on the Game Show Network. But I think because with music rights and the whole television world in general has changed quite a lot so.

It has and for people who don't understand the music clearance rights, it is the music industry is very protective obviously over their artists and over the songs, and so if you get clearance for it, it has to be And this is the longtan change so much you don't have to worry about maybe DVD and a rereunt here or there. It is such a game changer and it's why you'll see shows like Moonlighting wasn't on for years and years because of all the music clearance rights. They brought it back, but they had to insert like kind of generic public domain music in order to bring it back to the public. So we would have to go back to all those songs and have you dancing to something else sometimes if we couldn't get the clearance rights, which wouldn't make any sense.

A lot of people have said when I post throwbacks of like me and Pan Pablo or whatever, me and Rob Kardashian making the semi final with that floped, people are like, you always have good music, and I just wanted to clarify that we don't get to choose our music. For the most part, they do ask the celebrities to like give us one hundred songs that you love, and maybe one or two of them gets chosen, But for the most part, we get handed our music. And that reminds me of Chandler and Brandon's Chacha that they had a dance. It's also too because it was very much a chacha vibe, and I think that is that really affected their performance, to be quite honest, for that round, that is.

And that happens quite a bit, and sometimes, you know, even Taylor Night. I think last season people were like, why isn't Taylor Swift singing these songs? I'm like times in the music Clearence Ie, you know how expensive it would be to have her voice? Yeah?

No, yeah, And that's the thing, and this is what is the challenge with pop music is that sometimes the band is amazing, the best in the business, right, but like they sometimes don't sound exactly the same. And when we do rehearse, we get track, so we do get the original song, but then you know, sometimes we hear certain things that we choreographed to and then we have to also work with the band. And they've been great as far as that goes. I just wish Brandon would have asked them to speed up their salsa by a thousand.

That would have helped, would have helped a lot.

Yeah, what did you think of the semifinals?

That was a big pause, wasn't it? Yeah, No, it was, you know, it was one of those I felt. I think there were a lot of nerves going on, and I think there were a lot of little mistakes in terms of things that should be cleaned up by now, since we're so close to the finale, and I know that this has been a very close race between these five couples. Although I figured all five were going through based off of that three.

I always said that last week I did.

Yeah, I was like, there's three hours. They're not going to just do four couples. They're going to send them all through. So everyone probably should have assumed that they were going through anyway. But of course, you just never know if this show's going to throw you for a loop. But I felt like even just like little things like a pointed toe, the lifts, you never know when Carriyan's going to come in with the lift Pola situation, you know, a thrown arm, just things that should be buttoned up at this point, and I thought that those were getting in the way of a really nice performance.

I thought it. Yeah, I mean I said it, and I've posted about it. I thought it was kind of underwhelming, to be quite honest, And I remember like for me, semi finals that was like the best. It was better for me than the finals because everyone is still competing. You're on your last leg and you're in fight flight or freeze, and you're fighting you know your body, you're fighting your mind because all you want to do is shut down. But then there's that second win that hits everyone normally, and maybe I always I was wondering when I was watching it. I was like, they don't know, do they There's no way. I really hope they don't know that there's no elimination. The only person who I thought fought and was really genuinely present and happy to be there was Alona.

God, she looked good.

She looked really and she knew she looked good. She was like, I looked freaking gorre just and she did. She looked dynamite.

My favorite, too, is when she does some of like the softer, more lyrical dances. I think she's so gorgeous when she does them too. She looks so beautiful because we know she's strong. We already know that, so seeing that other side to her makes me so happy because.

You see like she was taking care of Alan, like there was like another person inside of her. There was like there was magical moments like that on the show where I believe any performer understands it is like that fourth state of consciousness where you kind of have an outer body experience but like it's all a positive experience and you wish she could do it again, you know.

Yeah, absolutely. And what I love about Ilona too is that within all of us, there are masculine and feminine sides, and you know, we don't need to define them, but I love that we get to see all aspects of that. And I felt like that was what really came out with Elona. And I think she probably feels sometimes that people don't see her quote unquote feminine side, but I'm like she's been able to showcase so many aspects of herself so genuinely, and that has been beautiful.

She is the definition of what true beauty and like self love and confident. I'm just happy for the younger generation that are watching to see that and what a great I mean this show really has. I mean, I know you were a fan of Alona's but for people like me who didn't was too familiar with her, like wow, what a stand up woman like she is. She should be so proud of herself. So I'm just happy for everyone. I wasn't necessarily in a way, Riley and Stephen dodged a bullet because I don't know if they would have made it to the finale with those dances unfortunately. What are your thoughts?

I thought that Stephen and also Danny, but those were the two correct Yeah, on this semi finals that I was like, Okay, you know, there's there's some leveling off I think in the improvement. But hopefully next week, where there's so much at stake, that we'll see a little bit more of that cleanup that I was talking about, you know, just yeah, little bits and pieces that really make a dance complete, and at the My Finals we need to see that.

So this is why I think that Instant Dance was just a waste because instead of prepping the couples to get ready for two full ninety second dances, okay, we I was watching and I was like, oh my god, this music is never going to stop, like and that's not a good sign, first of all, and second of all, you normally prep us by doing trios because that song is also ninety seconds, and you know, the instant dance in a way was just like it was kind of a you know, let's just put fill in the time because we've got a two show, that's all.

It felt like it felt like filler. And I don't like it when they when things feel like filler on Dancing with the Stars, Like when they used to do the sketches with you guys, I'd be like, this feels like filler. What the sketches? Remember you guys used to have to do like little comedic sketches.

Oh, like the ESPN. Yes, but there was result shows though, but.

You even did them during COVID seasons and it was just like the weird filler Yeah, the celebrities.

I don't like fillers no either, And it used to drive me. And that doesn't mean to make our dances longer. That means make our packages more interesting, Like Brandon and Chandler's going to the salsa club with nobody there, Like, what type of package is that? That makes? No? Like she was like, I'm going to get some inspiration cut to you're just in a different location with the.

Lights off and margarita that no one's gonna drink so.

Sunny, I know, was it lemon juice like that field producer was pouring, Like, come on, guys.

And that's the thing, like, if anything that we've seen over this season, contestants want more, they want more behind the scenes, they want more genuine they want more connection to the contestants and the pros. And I feel like I know this group of contestants better than any other group in the since we lost the results shows.

Oh really, why do you think that is? Because of the tiktoks and stuff.

The tiktoks and all of the content, and I know, Dance with the Stars their social media team has sort of amped it up as well to match what Riley and Ezra and Emma and have been doing. And yeah, that's the one thing, you know, I look at Emma and Reggie yet you know he wasn't going to be an amazing dancer at the end of all the season. But she really gave us great social media content. That was she did and endeared us all to Reggie and I can't wait to see I know she just said he was cast in a film. I'm like, I can't wait to see that with him in it.

The dancers need to put content creators as part of their contracts so they can get a sidea.

They should be getting extra money for that. And that is that.

Will never happen me and you know that very well. You know that would never happen unfortunately. I know. It's almost like I bet you they're spending a lot of money. I mean, I'm pretty sure that they are. With the social media team. It's like maybe you know budget.

Cuts, but that's where all the money is.

Didn't imagine going on handler, what did you think of Brandon? Okay, So for the newer fans, they I saw one post on TikTok about how rude it was for Brandon to talk back to carry In. But clearly they're new fans because remember back in the day when Max just had zero shame. I was just going to say, you don't know mix to you, but I do believe it is a turnoff. And I've discussed this, I think last season. It's kind of like, as much as I want to say to Carrion and Bruno sometimes like can you get up and show me what you're talking about I can't do that, Like it's just it would rub people the wrong way. And you do have to kind of take it and smile. And that's it because like they don't have a lot of time, you know, to talk, so they've.

Got the countdown going up against them, and I mean, and it's their time and their place in that moment, and you're supposed to be there to listen. And also you don't want to affect your celebrity contestant, Like all of a sudden, people are like, well, Cheryl talk back, and now I'm not going to vote for them. Yeah, you don't want to.

I've seen that a lot with these old when I'm watching old episodes, like Tony Develoni did it a few times with Len And look, they're giving us our time to perform. You got to give them theirs. Whether you agree or not, it's irrelevant. Really. Yeah, And you start a podcast.

Have an issue with it, guess what. There is a press line at the end of the show and you can talk to us weekly and they're.

Your social media now, like go off.

All of it. You have that right to do it. And I also thought Brandon he's so polite. He was like I just want everyone to know I'm not mad Carrianne, and I understand like he just was probably.

Much attention to it, though I don't know if people would have remembered, but maybe it was good that he did that though.

I think I think, yeah, I wasn't bothered by it to begin with because I was, like I know, back in the past. But at the same time, I know he probably felt better in the end for he was probably worried about Chandler.

I'm happy he cleared the air there. Do you think it's going to affect them moving forward?

I don't think so. I feel like we've discussed it and I think move on. And you know, to me, if you're talking about who's going to win as the best dancer, it is going to be between Joey and Chandler. But I'm telling everyone, do knock count out Ilona. I really feel like and Alona is coming in as a dark horse here.

Yeah, she's the people's winner.

She is the people's winner, and and she's.

Not Bobby Bones. She can do dance and.

She could win this. She could. I don't know if that's going to happen, but I do think that it is a possibility.

I felt tingles just now when you said that in my body. So who knows. There was another video on TikTok I saw this morning of someone's in slow mo watching all of Danny's dances and pulling out lifts as if they were carry Anne. And basically their point was that Carrie Anne only notices it on Chandler, she is not Danny. And I'm like, oh wow, and I didn't. I mean, if you were just going to talk about it and not show the footage, then I'd be like, oh, they're just haters. No, No, they're right, Cheryl.

I'll tell you one thing about just being on this side of it, because I know you've been in it. So there has been a long narrative that Carrie Anne judges men versus women very different, and that's gone back this been going on, I mean going back to you really, yes, going back to like since I started covering this.

She kinda just started to No.

I just feel like because of TikTok and because of the eye balls, it is then a thing and people say that she will you know, all the hot sexy men get better scores than sometimes they deserve, and then she'll be harder on women. But she picks on certain women, like she finds her person each season, like it was Hannah Brown, it was you know the season it's Chandler and she.

Was professional women, the women's celebrities, female.

Celebrities, got it, got it and that, you know, and Carrie Anne will say, well, I see something in them and I want to push them. She did it with Caitlin too. It's one of those that and it's it's one of those situations and I think Hannah was it Hannah or Caitlin or both of them that Carrie Inn was their judge in the last episode and you know, came in and gave critiques and there's awkwardness in the package.

Yeah, who was it last season? Do you remember? Was it so No, it wasn't so ch.

It wasn't so chea. Yeah, I'll have to go and like look, yeah, oh oh, I of course we know who it was, Charity. And you know, I kind of wish Charity was on this season because her fiancee's Dotton. I believe he was so beautiful in his support and being I wish she had all the eyeballs this season because that was a hole behind the scenes story that never really got told. Because they have this beautiful love together and it was so nice to see.

It's so beautiful.

And I went to more episodes less year in person and I was able to see it, and I was always like, and I was there when Ezra worked with Charity that week because Arden was out and he was injured. It was one of those situations I was like, why isn't this in a package.

It has Why don't they have both of them on one time? Like I would love to see that. I don't know.

I still think about it all the time because I was like, it was such a beautiful love story.

I don't know, Yeah, I feel like she didn't get the props that she deserved.

Yeah, And when I listened to your podcast with her, I was like, Oh that hurts my heart, it really does.

It was so sad, you know, I can like literally cry just thinking about it. So as far as Carrie Anne, I guess I know Keyo defended her. What are your thoughts on that? Where the heck has Kio been?

Where is Keyo? He just like popped up out of nowhere on that Sun interview?

And I know, like, where did he get this interw Was it the Sun? It was the Sun. It was the US Sun.

I know he stayed in touch with Emma and Peta, I believe a little bit. So I would think that if he wanted comfort, maybe he would have sat next near Peta in the audience the way Arden did, because I felt like that was a nice support system for Ardam that night.

Yeah, they must have.

Yeah, and it really that's the thing. It really should be an open door policy for everyone to come on back.

Yeah, And obviously it's up to the person if they want to go, but it's just it's the thought that count, because we all have contributed to the show, you know.

So I don't even know if he's in La anymore.

That's I don't think he is, okay, I think I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. Sending love to Kiyo. What did he say about Karen?

Oh, you know, he was port of carry and he's like, these are the judges and these are the comments. He's like, you're not always going to agree with them, but you know, he's like, we have to have respect what they say. And I understand that, you know, from a pro's perspective, especially when you're in it and you're being judged and you're you know you've got next week. But I also think, and we talked about this, I thought you had a great idea of like one judge's technique, one judge's performance. I do think, no matter what happens with this judging panel, because Mark keeps on coming back. I mean, he has been on this season or backstage a lot. I'm telling you they're finding a role for him next season somehow, some way. I'm predicting it. Now.

Okay, they just can't have all men on the panel.

They can't have all men, and that's why I worry.

I mean, three men and one woman. I just don't know. I don't know.

What do you worry about? Bruno?

No, I think they come in a package deal, Bruno and Carrion. You think that they they'll key There's no I think they really are in a way because like it would be I don't know if it would be. I haven't thought about it, but I think it would be kind of odd to have one of them there and one of them I don't know. I always see them as a duo.

I also think, like if they're looking too because you know I talk about this, I talked about some budget cuts, like just the industry in general is contracting, it's getting smaller, and budgets are getting smaller. An easy way to cut a budget is to cut a long term judge who's probably making well over a million dollars.

A year seniority. Same with the dancers, Like, it was probably a good thing that I left, Like.

I was expensive.

It was expensive, honestly, and it was necessarily. Yeah, I'm sure they save money on me, Tyra Tom.

Aaron Aaron Andrews was not sure.

Yeah, so let's cut the budget. No, I'm kidding. I think it would be. I really don't know how I would feel if it was only like let's say Bruno for example, Right, Like, I feels weird. It just feel weird. But it's like it's either they both stay, you add or you Right.

I just get a little nervous when I see the industry going like this, and by just going like this, get a little stressed.

And also though, if you think about it as a producer and not like I am, But I would think that this whole controversy around Carrian, it only.

Helps, right, Yes, And I will double down on that. One Variety did an article a couple of weeks ago with Conrad and Dina really talking about the show, and they leaned into carry and supporting tip her on a press tour after you know that, I know I saw her in to me. Yeah, so they definitely support her. That's why I was like, I don't think Carrian's going anywhere. I do worry a little bit about Brune. I will say that it's in the back of my mind.

It is because I'm like, but who's going to take his personality? Like he And I do agree with Karrien when she goes like the men get away with way more, but like without his like you know, grand grand Yeah, and and nobody is like as far as the dancers that I've been on that could judge, like, I don't think anyone could replace that. No, how do you feel about three men and one woman? I don't like it. It's just it's not balanced.

Yeah, it'd be another woman to come in if you're going to do four. And I still think I'll still go back to this. Four is too much, So it's.

Not too much of your three hour live shows, but it is too much. And because these dances are so like I think ninety seconds is too long, except if it's a freestyle if it's the freestyle, yes, absolutely, But if it's just like that is hard. That was hard on Stephen and Riley Cha cha and tango where you can't break hold. I mean, I unders think, but then you know, I don't think these people are doing secret rehearsals like I did. I just said this in my recap. I think I took this whole thing to another level. But that's my addict brain because I was like, Okay, great, you're going to give me four hours. Okay, great, partner, I will see you at Third Street from like twelve to twelve at all thirsty. Yeah, because like there's no room for that. There's no there's four hours. Ain't gonna do anything.

No, it's not I mean, especially at this stage of the game too, And maybe that's why we're not seeing those little moments, those refined moments that should be. It was even looking at like Joey had like a floppy I always called it flopping.

It and it was like fens like it was his freaking like someone told him to. Oh.

This is my one thought too for next season, where the judging seems to be all over the place and people are like, why is Carrie. I'm calling out lists for this person, not this person. I would love to see the show adopt like these are the rules that the judges have to follow.

To thank you?

How about that?

Yeah, they'll send everyone a technique book during the off season study it. They can do a little like test you know, yes, because I also want to know if there are no more rules, right, like if quick steps, if anything goes you know, then why why are we even talking about frame?

There's no need, right, just break hold a million times, a free for all.

It's just like a freestyle every week now that is not okay?

It used to be like it used to drive me nuts. Is the rumba starting to look like a contemporary dance? We've seen that happen before.

When you dance? Who dance barefoot in a rumba? I don't think it happened this season. It was like least I was up a couple of times and I'm like what. I was like, it's just you think you can dance, and it would. And that's the thing, right, It's like it, but it's not as good because you're dancing with people with not a lot of contemporary experience, and we don't have coaches or mentors like they do. So it's like it's a dumb down version on a higher budget and it looks odd. It just doesn't look right. Yeah, it gets you skip to a point you're like, what is going on? Oh my goodness, Okay, what is your prediction now? First through fifth?

Ooh okay, So fifth, I'm gonna put Danny for sure.

Okay. We have to also put into consideration the freestyles, right, I know, and.

That sometimes the freestyles change everything, you.

Know, anything goes yeah and throw away everything.

Because I can say that now. So fifth, I've sayed fourth, I'm going to say Steven, I'm going to put third Chandler and I hate saying that right now. Second, Elona, First.

Joey, I agree with all of what you just said. Okay, let's move on to the next headline. Alona and Alan on their annoying dwtspot Have you seen dumb and Dummer? I must say that, like I have to say, Alan, I've seen a different side of him in all the seasons he's ever been a part of because it's just so genuine, and you know, she busts his balls because he can get really intense. Peramanda Clutes as we heard recently. Yeah, so I don't know what are your thoughts.

I love them together, I think I I Alan. I think he feels lighter this season. You know, sometimes you can see, you can always see though when a pro is like really enjoying their partner and whether this feels like fun or this funuine work. And I think with Ilona, it feels like fun. You know, it's they're going out there, He's getting to do some cool stuff. I mean, obviously she's able to lift him, he can lift her like. I loved that opportunity to see that, because you're not going to see that every single season. And I think for him creatively, it's probably inspired him quite a bit because in.

Her packet she goes it just spiritually, it feels good that I'm the Matador. How amazing. Okay, imagine this if she were also high waisted Pasita dove pants like up to her breast, and she had a blarro jacket on with like a bra, and then he was obviously wearing the same thing, and they just had a matador face off for their positoble. I think that would have been so cool. It would have never been done. She would have worn that same slickbackbun and they would have just both had kpe action. I thought. I mean, like, I get so creative when it's not me.

You know, because when you're outside of it, you're like, I have this idea.

There's no pressure.

Yeah, but it's a great idea, and it would have worked so well with the two of them two in their dynamic.

What type of so I'm shooting I'm recording a bonus episode later today, and I was just outlining everything on like what I would like to see from everyone from their freestyle? What do you want to see? Like what type of themes? I guess, hmmm, you know.

I want to see people really lean into who they are authentically and not feel like, oh, I have to just be this person that everyone Yeah, and so I don't worry about someone like Alona because she's just gonna go out there and they're going to do something that works for her really well. I think for Chandler and Joey that's going to be their biggest challenge because they've been the two that have been like held up as sort of like the high standards for dancing on the show in this season, So their performances are probably going to be critiqued even more so than say Steven or Danny or things like that. I know that they want Danny to get into that emotional side, and I think that that's going to be his big thing. But I'm not expecting Danny to match the technique.

No, yeah, yeah, no. I What I believe is was so brilliant about their contemporary going back to Danny and Whitney was it wasn't so much that lifts or whatever tricks they were doing. It was the in between getting into it the getting out of it was seamless. There was emotion behind it, but also there was content behind it. It didn't just come out of nowhere like their salsa was just not okay, it wasn't good.

Yeah, And I watched Whitney the whole time. In fact, all of this episode, I realized that I was watching Whitney in her performance both.

Have you ever tried just not doing that? Though, like watch it again?

Yeah, because you have to. I had to go back and watch say and tell myself Whitney is so beautiful. Of course he's always been a dig take that away, No, no, but I'm like, okay, I got to focus on the contestant, not on the Celebrity pro and that has he always been like that? No, I actually this is That's why I say it. I'm like, I feel like, you know, he started down here and then he had this really great trajectory where he was improving each and every week, and I thought that Whitney was really pacing him well. And then all of a sudden, I feel like, and maybe it's nerves. Maybe sometimes you have self doubts.

I swear if they just got all those three dances where you can do lifts and then what are you gonna do?

Yeah, and then you plateau and you go where do we go from here? So hopefully that freestyle will capture some of that magic that they had mid season.

Yeah, as long as they work on the meat of it, which is not the lift itself. It's never the lift itself, right, Like this guy could do it, you just show him. I can tell. Also, I wonder if his head is getting the best of him. I said this in my recap, but like you know, when he's eating and breathing and pooping dancing right now, and I can see it he's hungry for it. And sometimes when you're two, when you're gripping too hard and you want something too much, the opposite happens. It's almost like if anyone needs just a couple of hours of distraction because he doesn't have a wife, like he doesn't have kids, right, like, he doesn't have anything meaning, like you know, and it would go home and then just be there with his family. And I did the same thing to myself, like I obviously would do secret rehearsals and those were through the night sometimes and I this is all I thought about. It was very consuming because I allowed it to be, and I don't think it helped my performance.

It makes me think of an audition when you go into something that you desperately want and then can smell and desperation, and you'll you'll not have a great audition and you'll be beating yourself up about it for hours later because you're like, they knew exactly that I wanted this, and I wanted it so bad that I did not put in the work that I was capable of.

It's law of attraction. It's like you have to let go. You got to let go, and that is the hardest thing in the world because all you want to do is you think you can control everything and then it just bites you in the ass. But hey, he should know that he's a he's an athlete. But I think his goal was just to make the final, so we may see a different side of him now that he's made it there, you know.

And to Whitney's credit, we also should never ever count her out.

I said this on my threads. I was like, look, you guys, never ever just don't disregard the power of the pros fan base. We all have our fan base and they're diehard, so and out of every pro I would say maybe Jenna, but I would still say Whitney has a loyal fan base yep.

And choreographically I always like Whitney Jenna. I feel like they're probably going to put in some major work. They've probably been thinking about it for weeks to be honest.

And someone else I saw a TikTok video about the choreography and how people have been saying I guess that some pros have been playing it safe, like pointed out Whitney and Jenna. But then this person who is recording the video said, but at the end of the day, they're just experienced pros and they don't want to just throw their celebrities under the bus and make him look vulnerable, like and that's something that Riley was, what this person said, is starting to still figure out because like maybe if Riley had the same experience, let's say, maybe some of those steps wouldn't have been given to Stephen for example. And I agree with him.

Yeah, and I think this is Riley's first semi finals and finale.

So she's going to learn learning a lot.

Yeah. I mean she's done a great job of so learned a lot. She's so you know. I interviewed Lindsay it'll be out next week. It was so fun to catch up with her and really talk about Riley because I said, you know, your sister is so unflappable. I feel like she has just ridden the wave in a very healthy way in ways that maybe I would have been overwhelmed if I were nineteen on national television like this. And obviously she has her sisters to lean on and family support, but Lindsay said, you know, even she's like, it's overwhelming to see what she's going through and the fame and the TikTok and everything else, but just to see how mature she is about it, and she's really able to let things go, which is great.

She is. That's great, that's good. Yeah, she's definitely she doesn't come across like she's nineteen at all.

So she does not I know nineteen. I would have been just so overwhelmed by this.

And I mean in her defense too, she hasn't had easy partners. She's had popular partners, but like as far as danceability goes, nothing's come natural to either of them.

Yeah, she didn't get a Jordan Fisher in her first season or anything else like that, someone who's just perfect.

Yeah. No, okay, let's move on to Joey gives Alona a lesson on being the Bachelor lead. This is hysterical. All I know is this. I don't know if ABC would actually do it, because you know, there was talks years ago, like maybe over a decade that I was going to be the Bachelorette and know that, and I met with the executive like we went there, right, So but then it was kind of like, uh, you're like if the formula is not for celebrities to do it because a lot of people I guess back then this is what was said to me at least, that they can't the people want watch want to connect to the person who was doing the Bachelor Bachelorette, but they find it hard to believe that I can't get a date. Believe me. I think it's harder than real. Yes, it's harder for people who are on television. I think. I don't know.

Well, here's my other thing that curiously, because I would love alone to do it, I would watch not watch Bachelor Bachelor.

I never watched it. Yeah, I would watch it.

Years ago, and it's just kind of like whatever to me, really, But I would say I would love to see her do it because I think a lot of people would be rooting for her and her love journey. But when you get to those like fantasy suites where her she's so as an Olympic athlete, she's tied to a lot of brands. I don't know if a lot of her brands would be super excited, you know. And that's the thing, and that's where you get into like the sexism of it, probably because if it was a male athlete, they'd be like, absolutely do it, and then you know, we get the double standard of being women. But I wonder if her management team would be like, we want you to not the bachelor or bachelorette.

But also, if you think about it, they don't spend a lot of money because they're not having to pay for a celebrity to do this shows great.

She's cost a lot of money. And yeah, going back to rugby. I believe she's going to oh she I think in England.

Yeah, coming back down to Earth.

Yeah, coming back to her sport and hopefully another Olympics.

So oh great.

People want to do LA because it's twenty twenty eight.

Oh does you wanna?

I don't know, twenty songs late twenties.

Maybe she's got her whole life at her it's overrated.

Go and do LA twenty twenty eight.

You've got so much ahead of you. No need to ruin it with a date. I'm kidding. I'm just jaded, obviously for obvious reasons. Okay, let's move on to Jen Tran. I've been seeing so remember when we talked about how like she's going to this wall of depression and it's gonna hasn't I don't think it's happened just yet, but it's starting to happen because she didn't get asked, she got turned down to do the tour, but then I was like, Sasha's not doing it, why would you do it? I don't know.

Maybe she thought she would get paired with Pasha if she was available to do the tour because he's also short. I'm just thinking, like, no, I.

Know, but like, wouldn't she want I wonder if Sasha would have done it, if Jen did it, because that happens.

Well, I know, I don't last season that like Val and Jenna came in and did certain dates and like so she came in and things like that, and Jenna said.

I did the same thing when I was on tour. Yeah.

Yeah, And I know Jenna in some interview I've seen, of course on TikTok somewhere, said I'm open to doing a couple of dates, you know, if Joey wants to do the tour, which I think that they would be very open to. So you would think maybe if Sasha and Jen wanted to pop in, that would have.

Been just for a couple of dates. Yeah, because people.

Are in and out of that tour all of the time. You know, sometimes it pro is out.

You know.

I know that they've had covers. I know Caylin and Ezra have covered in prior years.

You know, what I do know about this tour is that they do know who as far as the celebs go, are bringing in ticket sales. And I think because Jen is so new to this world of celebrity, I guess you can say that I don't know. I think that they're taking all of everything into consideration. Obviously, I'm sure they are.

And I also think about this, and I mentioned it, like when we were talking about Jen and Soshia last week. I said, Jen has been in this bachelor to Bachelorette to dancing with the star's bubble, and I think it just is easy for her to be like, I'm going to go on tour and that'll be in the tour bubble. And I think she's not doing it now, and so now she has to deal with like what is my next step? What is my job? Where am I living? And she said, you know, I want to continue with dance. I'm looking for studios in Miami and Los Angeles. What's happening? But she I just think she doesn't know what she wants.

To do, Like, yeah, you're right, you're forgetting. She's just not like she was at the Bachelorette and then before that, she probably had a regular nine to five job. I'm assuming, right.

Yeah, she probably did something. But she started off in the Bachelor to Bachelorette too, you know, so it's like, oh, pipeline to Dancing with the Stars. So she's been in this like, Okay, that's my next step, this is my next step.

Oh so she's gripping as well. She's wanting to continue.

I get it. No, I get it. If you have your like, I'm just going to do tour and this will be great. And of course they're going to ask me I'm a bachelorette blah blah, and then you're not, and you think, well, what's my plan be now? And I think that's where she's going, Oh my gosh, freaking out.

I get listen. And it may not happen as soon, It may not happen next week when the show's over. Like, I think, you have to really give yourself time to figure out, try new things. See what do you like, see what you don't like? What was she doing before television? No, I don't know.

And I've got to imagine she's also pulling in some decent social media dollars.

So I saw her get ready with me when she was talking about this, and she was obviously showing products at the same time. So let's go on to a deeper dive into the New York Times article. Are they going to go back to two a year or are they going to stick to one a year as far as seasons go? And like, as far as viewership, is this show the biggest it's been ever? Or is it just the votes? Yeah?

Okay this I did a TikTok on this too, And this is because I get asked all the time, does this mean that the spring season is coming back? And I'm like, no, it just doesn't. And here here's we have to like look at this as like a big picture thing. First of all, the show is getting about this past week five point two million viewers that is on ABC. Those numbers will get bumped up a little bit of course between Hulu and Disney Plus. But remember the heyday of the show was twenty million viewers.

Right, and five million was like the first season during the summer, during the.

Summer, which was a six week experiment. So we have to look at that and understand that. And we understand television's change technologies change all of this. But if they go and they do let's say a spring season now and they do a fall season, we're going to see a weaker show because you're going to have to spread the budget out a little bit more, and it's going to be harder to get celebrities because they're going to be like, oh, you keep asking me or whatever. They'd rather have it as appointment television every single fall. People know where to find it. People, you know, they wait a year. The anticipation has been built up, and you can invest the money that you do have and invest it wisely because we're not going to get results showbacks. Unfortunately, we're not going to get the spring season back. I'd rather with the dollars that they do.

Not think the results shows are good, not if we're not getting Taylor Swift and Celine Dion like we used to do right, Like there's no point that was so good when you guys, But have you imagine we had like Whitney Houston, was she on? Yeah, she was definitely saying she was Jennifer Lopez, like we had every single person Macy's.

Stars of Dance, when you would have these great sponsor, such a great sponsor, like all those things are gone unfortunately.

But don't they get sponsored. I mean, they have to be making they're making money. They're not losing money.

They're not losing money, although they were losing money on ABC. Well that's why it moved to Disney Plus.

Oh really, yes.

And the interesting thing is they were like the Disney Plus shift the season season thirty one, you guys were only on Disney Plus. It was a failed experiment. But when they brought it back, they had Charlie Demilio had brought a lot of young eyeballs onto the show, and everyone sort of crossed back over to ABC. Also, and I hate to say this, you know, we like Tyra, but she wasn't right fit for the show. We know that when we brought in Alfonso and then Julianne that a lot of people came back to the show because people were so upset and are still upset that tom Berdron is no longer host of that show.

I wonder if it were straight let's say Tyra never happened, would they still have been as upset if it were all Fondo and Julianne taking over.

I don't think they would have been as upset. I think Tyra the whole you know, the last couple of years.

Because the replacement was not as like if you're going to replace him, yeah.

And besides Tyra, we had the COVID two seasons different shown. Yeah, and let me get I was just about to get to that. I was like, Andrew, who was your former showrunner? Was and I will say it, because you probably will get in trouble if you say it, I'll say it. He was running the show into the ground. He was making changes that were so upsetting to the viewers, and I don't know if it was upsetting to you guys behind the scenes. It was frustrating to watch because I'm like, this is such a great show. So when Conrad came back in, it's like, we're going to go back to like square one, go back to the roots in the heart of the show. And we've seen those improvements every single season.

Good news maybe with nikin Ardam they've settled their divorce and dropped frustrating orders against each other, which I'm happy about. I think hopefully he can get his jobs back and all of it.

Think both of them, they said they wanted to move forward. Things were getting expensive with lawyers, which anyone who's hired a lawyer knows how expensive that is. And for their son too, you know, they've got they have to learn to co parent amicably. I think TMZ was saying things are still a little tense right now, but they're moving in a positive direction. They're cooperating with each other, which is only going to be the best thing for their son and for them. Yeah, get this out of the headlines. And I hope for both of them that they find peace and that they find happiness because they both deserve that.

We haven't heard from her really yet, because I know she does a podcast with her sister, and her sister's just been doing it alone since all of this went down. But whenever she's ready, I'm sure she'll.

Yeah, and maybe after the holidays, maybe like a new year, she'll feel in a better headspace with all of it. I know her representative just said her main focus right now is making sure that Matteo is okay and that he feels comfortable and settled with the transition that's happening within their family.

And they must be somewhat communicating, right because they have to share custody of Mateo, so.

There's joint custody that has been worked out, so and I think that they're both still up in the Napa area, so hopefully that that will get smoother over time.

And I'm happy that his mother, Artam's mom came to visit, so that was nice. I saw a story I think of him picking up his mom at the airport, so.

I'm sure the comfort was probably good for him too.

He needed it. Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much and happy finale almost will are you coming back right?

I'm coming back next week.

We'll have tons to talk about. Oh talk to uh quickly just plug the interview with Lindsay.

Oh yes, So my interview with Lindsay Arnold should be up. I'm going to say Monday, probably because the finale is on Tuesday on soaps dot Com, and I will put it up on all my social media sites so that you guys can see it. They'll be both a video and a written article.

Did she tell you what their freestyle is going to be?

I'm kidding, she did not tell me, but she gave me some good Insightso about Riley and the one thing that she hasn't done yet with Dancing with the Stars that she would like to do.

Is she happy with her boyfriend? Is Riley Lindsay. Does Lindsay approove.

Oh yes, the whole family approoves Yay.

Wedding bells.

I love it. I know she'll be engaged in a matter of time.

You will be, Yeah, for sure. Thank you so much, Thank you. Thanks to my fantastic co host Kristin Burt for being part of our weekly Headlines and Hot Topics series. Don't forget to follow Kristin at the Kristin Burt and the podcast at Sex Lives and Spray Hands on Instagram, threads and TikTok, though we don't post on threads and TikTok as much as Instagram, so there you go. Instead of an interview this Sunday, I am going to be doing a bonus episode about the couples and what they need to do in order to win that Mirror Ball Trophy since we've got the three hour finale coming up next week, and we'll be answering some of some because I got thousands of questions, but we'll be answering some of your questions as well, and possibly do a series on just fan questions in general, because you guys have given so much feedback and so many interesting questions that I want to be able to get to all of them, so until next time,

Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans

Professional dancer Cheryl Burke has been a part of Dancing with the Stars since the very beginning. 
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