Charli D'Amelio is famous for dancing on TikTok, but despite already being a seasoned dancer, she still deserves to compete in Dancing With The Stars season 31. Charli was announced as a part of the cast on September 8, along with her mother, Heidi D'Amelio, and many other celebrities like American Idol's Jordin Sparks and Legally Blonde actress Selma Blair. Heidi has become a celebrity in her own right after starring on Hulu's The D'Amelio Show when Charli and her sister Dixie D'Amelio rose to fame on TikTok. Heidi and her partner Artem Chigvintsev came in sixth place with a score of 24.
However, Charli came in first place with a score of 32. She blew judges away with her cha-cha-cha to the popular TikTok song "Savage (Major Lazer Remix)" by Megan Thee Stallion. The DWTS contestant even incorporated some popular TikTok dance moves into her routine. Charli's inclusion on the show is very reminiscent of JoJo Siwa's last season. Many DWTS fans felt the Dance Moms star had an unfair advantage over other contestants. However, despite consistently performing well with her partner Jenna Johnson, JoJo did not win, and the Mirrorball trophy went to Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach instead.
Charli may have a foot up in the competition, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be competing on DWTS. Charli has been competitive dancing since she was five years old, which explains why she so effortlessly hits every move in her viral TikTok dances. However, despite her incredible performance during the DWTS premiere, Charli doesn't have ballroom experience. Dance experience will certainly help her, but that doesn't mean she'll master every ballroom dance if she doesn't have experience with the routine itself. During rehearsal, Charli's partner Mark Ballas gave her a lot of critiques, proving that despite her talent, she still has to work to perfect her routine.
Charli also isn't the only DWTS contestant this season with some experience working in her favor. The Bachelorette's Gabby Windey was a dancer in high school and a Bronco's cheerleader for five years. This showed in her routine, which also received a lot of praise from judges. RuPaul's Drag Race star Shangela also put on an impressive performance and has plenty of experience performing and dancing as a drag queen. However, Selma isn't much of a dancer but still put on an incredible performance, proving her multiple sclerosis will not hold her back this season. Clearly, the DWTS contestants without dance experience still have a chance of winning.
No matter who's performing on DWTS, fans are going to have opinions. While no one can stop anyone from criticizing the show for including a talented dancer, Charli shouldn't let any criticism get to her. As a TikTok star, she's likely used to it by now and hopefully knows how to handle it. Charli has every right to be competing on DWTS, and since she's not a ballroom dancer, she still has a lot to learn and many ways she can improve throughout DWTS season 31.
Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Disney+.