Sean Spicer says that he's relieved but disappointed about his Dancing with the Stars elimination. The former White House Press Secretary was finally ousted from the show during the November 11 episode of season 28.
Spicer faced a huge backlash during his final weeks on the telecast. Donald Trump continued to tweet support for Spicer, appealing to his large conservative constituency to vote for him in the competition. As a result, many of the more seasoned performers on the show who received much higher scores from the judges found themselves in the bottom two, while Spicer remained safe. Actress Kate Flannery, who had performed fairly well throughout the competition, was eliminated earlier than many thought possible. Queer Eye star Karamo Brown was also sent home earlier than expected, meanwhile, Spicer lived to dance another week.
Spicer told People magazine he’s both "relieved in a way" and "somewhat disappointed" to be going home. Trump's support kept Spicer's scores high, despite his awkward performances. Still, he was grateful for the special attention he received from viewers - as well as the President. Spicer said of Trump's tweet encouraging fans to vote for him, saying, "It means a lot." He continued, "I appreciate his support and his continued friendship. It means a tremendous amount to me to know that he’s taking time to put his support out there. I thank him for that."
However, it was that support that attracted the ire of judge Carrie Ann Inaba. After seeing Karamo Brown, Ally Brooke, and Kate Flannery languishing in the bottom two, Inaba lashed out in an interview with Us Weekly. She spoke out about Spicer's time on the show and intimated that it was unfair for him to continue in the competition at the expense of the other dancers. As the weeks continued, Spicer seemed to lean into his popularity among Trump's fan base. He took a more visible presence on camera, photobombing other dancers during their interviews with co-host Erin Andrews. He was often filmed heartily laughing at the commentaries, or patting the other dancers on their backs. His most showy display of on-camera antics occurred on the November 11th episode, in which he was voted out of the ballroom.
As odd as it is to go back and watch previous episodes of Dancing With the Stars knowing that a politician like Sean Spicer was in them, it's even more strange to see how delighted with himself he was throughout the competition. What frustrated fans the most was seeing how Spicer had usurped the hard work and accomplishments of dancing pros and celebrities and seemingly only stayed in the competition by getting a shout out by the President - not by his dancing ability. Though most celebs go on the dance competition seeking a second wind in their entertainment careers, it's doubtful that Spicer will try to pursue a career as a dancer, singer, or actor in Hollywood. Therefore, fans are still scratching their heads wondering what it was that Spicer set out to gain by competing on the celebrity dance competition. Regardless, now that's he's gone, it seems that the playing field will be even now and the talented and hardworking dancers will finally get a shot at fair scoring.
Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays at 8 pm EST on ABC.
Source: People