The competition on Dancing With the Stars season 33 is tougher than ever, according to pro dancer Britt Stewart.
“Here’s the thing, the judges have been hard, and I do believe that the judges were hard on [my partner], Eric [Roberts],” Stewart, 35, exclusively told Us at the Us Weekly + Pluto TV Reality Stars of the Year Party at the Dream Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 10. “He’s had zero dance experience, and he’s not a natural dancer, so I understand why he received a score that he did.”
Stewart went on to applaud Roberts, 68, for “learning something new” at an older age. “He has two titanium hips,” she stated. “There is a lot of courage and bravery that comes with that.”
Season 33 of the ballroom dance competition premiered last month. After avoiding the first double elimination of the season, Stewart and Roberts were sent home on the show’s Hair Metal Night on Tuesday, October 8, along with Emma Slater and Reginald VelJohnson.
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“Elimination is never easy … [but] I give it all to my partners. It doesn’t matter who my partner is,” Stewart exclusively told Us after Tuesday’s episode. “I am going to make them shine, if I can. I’m gonna push as much as I can.”
Roberts, for his part, said that he’s happy to be taking away a “great friendship” with Stewart after leaving the ballroom.
Stewart continued to gush about her season 33 partner on Thursday, telling Us, “[He’s] an absolute legend in the industry, and it’s just been an honor to work with him. As a whole, I think people are really getting excited around this season.”
In addition to breaking fan voting records, the current season of DWTS has made headlines for several rumored showmances between the pros and contestants. Catching feelings for a dance partner is something Stewart knows all too well — she met her fiancé, actor Daniel Durant, when they competed together on season 31 in 2022.
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“What I will say about Daniel and I’s relationship is we were truly teammates, and then we became friends, and we didn’t start dating until after the show, so we had this very genuine, honest connection that really just blossomed throughout the season,” Stewart gushed. “And we really were able to set a foundation. You’re with each other every single day, and you’re working closely, you really get to know every single side of them. So yes, showmances happen, but I would say I would just encourage everyone to be authentic with themselves [and] genuine about it.”
Durant, 34, popped the question to Stewart on Christmas Day in December 2023. “I feel like my whole energy and aura changes when I say his name and when I start to talk about him because he has enhanced my life in so many ways,” she told Us. “We both say that we’re just lucky. We really met our soulmates and I’m proud to be his future wife.”
Teasing the pair’s upcoming nuptials, Stewart added, “When I think about our wedding day, it’s intimate, it’s full of love, a reflection of our relationship. And I have to stop, because I will fall into tears and all my eyelashes will come running down my face.”
Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch episodes on Disney+ the next day.
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
