Corey Feldman thinks he might be the weak link in his Dancing With the Stars partnership with Jenna Johnson.
“I feel like I may have let her down a little bit already,” Feldman, 54, joked to Us Weekly exclusively on Wednesday, September 3. “I’m sure when she opened the door [she] was like, ‘Oh God, what do I have to deal with?’”
ABC announced earlier on Wednesday that the former child star would be paired with Johnson, 31, for season 34 of DWTS. Johnson is the reigning Len Goodman Mirrorball champion, taking home the trophy last year with former Bachelor Joey Graziadei. (Johnson previously won the show in 2018 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon.)
“I’m very grateful that I have somebody so eloquent when it comes to the dance floor, and knowing everything, the moves, the rhythms, the styles [and] the technique,” Feldman gushed of working with Johnson. “She’s the reigning queen, so I’m very grateful that I was lucky enough to land her as my partner.”
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According to Feldman, he wants to fully embrace the ballroom competition and follow Johnson’s lead.
“I’ve been dancing my whole life professionally, but [in a] totally different style of dancing,” he explained. “In all those situations, like, the choreographers were there to work around what I do. They were there to kind of work with me and let me lead, so for me to take the back seat and turn it over and say, ‘It’s all you, show me. Lead me,’ I’m excited.”
Johnson is also eager to see what Feldman can do in the ballroom.
“I mean, we’re just getting started, so we have a lot of work to do, but I think people will be so excited to root on Corey and to see his journey on the show, and to watch him evolve as a ballroom dancer,” Johnson told Us on Wednesday. “I think it’s going to be epic and so relatable.”
She continued, “I think so many people are going to be so stoked to watch [his] journey.”
Despite being the current DWTS champion, Johnson doesn’t feel any pressure to win back-to-back seasons.
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“I think every season is new as a clean slate, especially with different partners that you’re given,” she said. “I am so passionate about giving each partner the best experience possible. This is a different journey. I’m obviously so grateful for last year and the win, but this is new. This is different. My intentions are different, so I’m excited.”
Johnson further noted that her intentions going into season 34 are for Feldman to “feel the best on the dance floor.”
“I want him to enjoy dancing with a partner,” she said. “This is something so new for him, and so I just want to give him the confidence that he deserves.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
Prove your DWTS fandom with Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!
