It pales in comparison to the drama of past contestants, but Heather Morris has had to deal with quite a lot on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars. Heather entered the competition with a fair bit of heat over her dancing background. Before she could acclimate, though, Heather lost her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy in the first week of the season. In a recent interview with TV Guide, Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron host addressed both of these issues and why he thinks Heather’s dancing skills aren’t that big of a deal.
Dancing with the Stars Spoilers: Moana, Enchanted and More Disney Night Dances>>> Tom has a much more inside track than the viewers when it comes to Maks’ return to the show. Though he has remained hopeful each and every week, according to Tom, Maks was thinking he would be back for the upcoming Disney night. “I talked to [Maks] last Monday during a commercial to see how he’s doing, and I know he was hopeful to get back for Disney Night,” Tom explained. “But by the same token, the nature of that injury is something you don’t want to rush because if you re-injure it you could be looking at some serious issues.”
Bergeron is greatly looking forward to Disney night himself. The night will have several special musical guests including Moana star Auli’i Cravalho, as well as Dancing with the Stars alums Donny Osmond and Alfonso Riberio. As much as Tom thinks Disney Night will be special, he doesn’t want Maks to rush back to compete and participate. “I’m just hoping he takes whatever time he needs to make sure that he’s capable of doing it again and not rush in at an arbitrary week,” Tom said.
The DWTS host also is just as generous about the controversy surrounding Heather Morris. Tom believes that it really isn’t that much different than situations Dancing with the Stars has seen countless times before this year. “It’s not unlike controversies we’ve had going back to Season 1, where there are people who have some dance background, whether it’s ballroom or not,” he said. “Whether it’s an athlete who is an Olympian or someone who was in a boy band.”
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Tom thinks dancing skill, though, is really secondary to how a celebrity is able to engage and entertain the audience. The contestants’ job, according to the host, is less to be the best dancer and more about being the most appealing. It’s personality more than anything that determines a contender on Dancing with the Stars.
“Do they engage you as a viewer? Anyone who has had a career in the business is going to be a hyphenate to some degree,” Tom explained. “Heather’s had more than most, and I think Maks pointed it out in the first week that the bar is going to be a little higher for them. So it’s a reality and I’m sure it’s something they’ve factored into what they’re doing.”
Do you agree with Tom’s view about Heather Morris? Do you hope Maks returns for Disney Night? Do you actually prefer watching Heather dance with Alan? Are dancing skills secondary to a contestant’s ability to entertain?
Dancing with the Stars season 24 airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our Facebook page!
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
