Photo: Disney/Andrew Eccles
Dancing with the stars has thrown the “scam” into controversy. Not everyone was pleased when convicted fraudster Anna Delvey (or Sorokin) said she had received permission from ICE to leave the state as one of the contestants on the dance competition’s 33rd season. (Hey, house arrest didn’t stop her from landing a podcast and reality show deal.) Ahead of the Sept. 17 premiere on ABC, Delvey suggested Entertainment tonight that she is not nervous – “what’s the worst that can happen? They won’t arrest me for dancing badly” – and joked in a People In a featurette, she hopes “the government” will support her. But what about all the complaints that Delvey shouldn’t be twirling around on TV? DWTS Showrunner Conrad Green addressed the backlash and said diversity“We’ve had other people on the show who have had criminal problems in the past. She’s served her sentence. I think it’s completely justified that she’s on the show and I think people were really curious to see how she’s doing.” If you don’t have time for the whole thing, you’re in luck – here’s everything Anna Delvey said during her two-week appearance on Dancing with the stars.
She works long hours because she is a cheater Singer dancer. As the last performance of the evening, a curly-haired Delvey performed a Cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” wearing a rhinestone-encrusted ankle bracelet and new pro Ezra Sosa. Described by the hosts as a “fashionista and entrepreneur,” Delvey acknowledged in her introductory package that people might associate her with grand theft, but insisted she hopes to bring “a different side” of herself to the forefront DWTS. “My past shows that I am quite determined and that is a good quality to channel into something positive,” she said. The real inspiration for Netflix’ The invention of Anna added: “I have reinvented myself many times and this time I am going to be a ballroom dancer.”
After the performance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba pointed out that there was an “energy shift” in the room as soon as Delvey hit the dance floor. Inaba urged the audience to “give it a chance” and focus on dancing. To that end, Delvey and Sosa received 18 out of 30—not the best, but not the worst either. What did Delvey say after receiving her score? “I’m glad I don’t have to do that dance again.” She didn’t say if she wanted to do a new dance, but she has no choice; no one went home tonight (but there will be a double elimination next week).
During Oscar night, Ezra and fashionista Anna danced to “Suddenly I See” for The devil wears Prada when Anna has her own Andy moment and is “upset” when she sees all the negative comments about her being on the show. However, Julia Fox (basically her Nigel) came to the practice studio to give her some sisterly advice. “When you’re young, you might do things that you’re ashamed of later. But this all happened to you so publicly, so it’s only right that we witness your moment now,” Fox told her during rehearsals. In a confessional, Fox tries to convince the audience to give Delvey some mercy, explaining, “It’s sad to see all the people being so mean, because if it was her sister or mother, they’d be all for a second chance.” Before switching back to Delvey during the dance, Fox promises that she will “win America’s hearts.”
On the dance floor, Delvey received even more positive feedback despite her low score. Carrie Ann Inaba felt she was still “holding back a little bit” when dancing, but had “beautiful lines.” Derek Hough noticed a “softness” in her performance, telling her, “I started to see Anna as a human, not just a persona,” before giving her some technical feedback on her elbows. Delvey and Sosa received 17 out of 30 in this round, a tough score since she was unfortunately eliminated at the end of the night along with Tori Spelling and Pasha Pashkov.
When asked what she would take away from the competition after being sent home, Delvey stayed in character and replied as the credits rolled, “Nothing.”
