ot the chills watching the Dancing With the Stars 10th Anniversary Special in the ballroom last week. Maybe I've inhaled too much Disney pixie dust over the season, but there was truly something magical being in that room with so many DWTS alum and fan favorites (ahem, Maks and Meryl). And that's why I want to share what you didn't see on tonight's special. Enjoy, and happy anniversary, Dancing With the Stars!
Tuesday, April 21
6:15 P.M. I arrive backstage to the hustle and bustle of what feels like a finale show but without the stress of a competition. I spot Meryl Davis and Candace Cameron Bure by craft services but decide to wait to say my hellos until we all get into the ballroom.
6:15 P.M. I arrive backstage to the hustle and bustle of what feels like a finale show but without the stress of a competition. I spot Meryl Davis and Candace Cameron Bure by craft services but decide to wait to say my hellos until we all get into the ballroom.
6:25 P.M. Inside the ballroom, 90 percent of the seats have the names of former and current DWTS celebs on them, as well as a few reserved for members of longtime press covering the show and ABC notables. Mysteriously listed on a couple chairs are the names Kelly Kapowski, Richard Belding, and Jesse Spano. For the record, I never spot them.
6:27 P.M. Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec walks right by me until he does a double take and says, "Whoa, I didn't recognize you!" It's not like I dress casual every Monday night, but this evening I'm on camera for our video coverage, so there's an extra layer of sparkles and fake eyelashes happening. Meanwhile, Robert tells me he's excited he can finally relax in the ballroom tonight because he doesn't have to dance.
6:29 P.M. I spot Candace Cameron Bure in her seat applying lipstick and run up to give her a hug. The night before, John Stamos went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to confirm that Full House is returning to Netflix. Candace tells me that it's been in the works for a long time now, so it's a relief to finally be able to talk about it. We also joke about how unglamorous our jobs really are (I had been up for 28 hours the day before with our ACM coverage in Dallas, where I caught up with former DWTS winner Kellie Pickler).
6:35 P.M. As I head to my seat, Janel Parrish spots me and runs over for a hug. She's wearing a very low-cut dress, and I joke that I hope she's wearing enough double-sided tape for the evening! She assures me she is.
6:40 P.M. While we wait for the live-to-tape show to begin, Jacoby Jones' mom blows her son a kiss, and he throws one right back.
6:55 P.M. Maks and Meryl wait patiently for the opening number to star, whispering in each other's ears while swaying back and forth. It's just like old times.
7:10 P.M. The show has started, and Tom Bergeron is introducing the champions' package. While this is going on, Danica McKellar and Corbin Bleu run over to judge Bruno Tonioli to give him a hug.
7:13 P.M. Chris Soules is sitting across the way from me and staying caffeinated with soda first, then switches to coffee. Gotta keep these guys hydrated! (Later, he dons a mullet for the Billy Ray Cyrus performance).
7:20 P.M. Before Maks and Meryl and Witney and Alfonso are introduced, Maks and Alfonso start performing moves to "The Carlton," while Meryl and Witney playfully bump butts.
7:30 P.M. During a commercial break, Lea Thompson greets Rumer Willis with a warm embrace.
7:40 P.M. Right before Val and Kelly Monaco perform their water-based flamenco, Val is on the ballroom floor doing push-ups.
7:46 P.M. As soon as Kelly and Val are finished with their dance, Len Goodman is on his feet applauding with a smile plastered across his face. I guess we won't hear a "save it for the bedroom" speech here, will we, Len?
7:46 P.M. While Len is looking like a proud parent, Jonathan Bennett's eyes are bugging out, either shocked at what he just saw or deathly afraid of a moment he won't soon forget. Julianne Hough notices his paralyzed reaction and immediately alerts Bruno, who starts cracking up. Jonathan never notices their reactions.
7:50 P.M. Before Mark Ballas and Sasha Farber dance to "Uptown Funk," Mark stops the song twice because the volume isn't loud enough. The third time's a charm, and the dance gets under way. As great as it is, it's bittersweet that Derek isn't able to perform it with Mark. Speaking of Derek, he's nowhere to be seen, which is a surprise given it is the 10th Anniversary Special (yes, I know he's injured).
7:55 P.M. Maks and Val share a brotherly embrace by the stairs until they spot me and stop hugging and start waving. Sorry, boys!
7:58 P.M. Maks and Len ride a bicycle out on the ballroom floor, which elicits tons of laughter from the audience. They then have to back up the bicycle to their starting point, which is even funnier.
8:00 P.M. Daniel Day Kim (Hawaii Five-O) is in the audience and shakes hands with Tommy Chong. No one can quite figure out why Kim is there, but everyone is happy about it.
8:02 P.M. Dorothy Hamill is seated next to Danica McKellar, and the two practice a hand routine from their seats.
8:03 P.M. Meanwhile, Mark Ballas is deep in conversation with Chris Soules, explaining to him what looks like a detailed play-by-play of how Derek got injured.
8:06 P.M. Maks' audition tape is shown, and Meryl can't believe what she's seeing. By the way, the shirt and beanie that Tony Dovolani wore in the celebriquarium? Tony told me that was the actual shirt and beanie from Maks' closet! He went in and stole it purposely for that moment. It's payback because earlier in the day, "Maks was making fun of my face on the poster of winners," says Tony.
8:08 P.M. When Tom Bergeron throws to commercial, Maks and Meryl head over to the judges' table to give them hugs and kisses. As far as I remember, they were the only couple to do that. They then hold hands as they run off backstage.
8:14 P.M. Amber Riley's mom is sitting behind me, cheering loudly as her daughter makes her debut alongsidePatti LaBelle and Lil' Kim.
8:16 P.M. Looking to make my getaway to head to the DWTS after-party, I spot Maks and Peta being playful with each other backstage before they come back out on the dance floor.
Other tidbits: At the after party I ask Meryl what was her most awkward moment on the dance floor or in rehearsal and she recounts the moment that Maks got frustrated and threw his audio pack off. Still, "we really clicked during our season. He's genuinely an incredible person, and the passion makes him who he is. So sometimes if there's a little bit too much or if it comes off the wrong way, it's just part of the package," Meryl tells me. She also tells me that she had the best time dancing with Maks again on the DWTS dance floor and wants to do it again. Until that happens, she'll be performing with Maks in SWAY this summer.
Val wasn't able to be at the party since he hopped on a flight to New York immediately after the show, but when I caught up with him back in L.A., I couldn't not ask him about his sexy routine with Kelly Monaco. "Listen, I owe a lot to the show and that was my way of saying thank you to 10 years of changing the lives of a lot of dancers. I am not dancing in a Speedo ever again! Thank you so much to Dancing With the Stars. They owe me two [Mirrorballs] for that!"
