Ezra Sosa has responded to the backlash surrounding his choreography for the Season 34 premiere of Dancing With the Stars. The 24-year-old took to TikTok to share a message with his fans over the controversy. "When I realized I got a higher week 1 score last season," he captioned the video on Wednesday, addressing "the irony of it all". Ezra and Anna Delvey received an 18 out of 30 for their cha-cha during the fall 2024 season premiere of Dancing With the Stars, just one week before their elimination. In the current season, during the Tuesday, September 16 premiere, Ezra and his new partner, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, scored a 10 out of 20 for their salsa routine.
During Tuesday’s episode of Dancing With the Stars, judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli took the reins in critiquing the performances, as Carrie Ann Inaba was absent due to illness. "The scoring tonight, just be mindful, it might be a little lower than you’re expecting because there’s a long way to go,” Derek told the couple after their Beyoncé-soundtracked salsa. "This is a marathon. We want to give you guys room to grow."
Many of the show's fans took to social media to urge that the dancer give Jordan "the choreo she deserves". "BB it's OK," replied Ezra. "I signed up for this. I appreciate the criticism [and] it makes me better! [I] wanna make you guys proud."
Fellow contestants Dylan Efron and pro partner Daniella Karagach also earned matching scores of 5 from both judges. "I understood what they were saying, and that’s kind of what I hope to become like," Dylan told Us Weekly after the show, addressing the comments to improve leading his partner on the dance floor. "I think Derek was saying he wants to see me turn into that lead character–type vibe, and that wasn’t what we were going for week one."
"We wanted to go out there and have fun, so I hope our arc does look like that. … It just felt, like, such a positive night."
Alec Baldwin also attended the live taping of the premiere and also appeared in his wife's pre-dance package, where Hilaria Baldwin brought her dance partner, Gleb Savchenko, to rehearse in New York near their home.
Next week's theme is One-Hit Wonders, which will feature all 14 competitors performing before a double elimination. Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.