If you’re a fan of Dancing With The Stars (and if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you are), you know that each season has its favorites picked from the outset. I mean, Alfonso Ribeiro, Rumer Willis, Melissa Rycroft, and Hines Ward were all early favorites who went on to win the whole darn show — and that mirrorball trophy. This season, I think that Vine star and all-around cutie patootie Hayes Grier is a lock to win. I know he’s only 15, but he can really move. He’s also got a ton of charisma to boot. There’s only one person I think can beat Hayes Grier on Dancing With The Stars : Bindi Irwin.
Bindi is the other favorite on the show. ABC paired her with Derek Hough, who is the golden boy of the Dancing With The Stars world. As with Hayes, going into the show, I didn’t think that Bindi would be able to move. I just thought she’d come on and wrestle alligators and snakes and that would be that. (I now know I was wrong.) Bindi can really dance! And, she’s infectiously upbeat, which is fun to watch. Let’s compare Hayes and Bindi to see who would really come out on top.
Likability
Both Bindi and Hayes are affable, lovable people. I mean, they wouldn’t be famous-ish if they weren’t. I think that Bindi has the edge here, though, because people who are watching Dancing With The Stars remember just how much they loved Bindi’s late father, the environmentalist Steve Irwin. The whole world was shocked when he died, and seeing Bindi grow up in the spotlight and without her dad is like seeing a member of your own family grow up into a beautiful young woman. We know Bindi, and, unless you are a preteen and have a cell phone, you really don’t know Hayes. Sure, he’s a Vine star, and he seems nice enough, but the people’s collective torch for Steve Irwin will beat out social media every time.
Charisma
When it comes to charisma, Hayes has “it” in spades. Those eyes, that smile, that hair! And, he loves his mother (which even made me melt)! The only liability that Hayes may have is that, in the past, his brother Nash Grier has posted Vines that offended many people and were seen as racist, sexist, and homophobic. In July 2014, Grier apologized for a Vine he posted that included a homophobic slur. In addition, in December 2014, the now 17-year-old wrote an essay on Huffington Post explaining and apologizing for his past mistakes, saying in part, “From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry to each and every person I have ever offended.” Since that time, it seems that Grier has taken his apology seriously, changed his outlook, and not posted offensive videos.
If people can forgive Nash and overlook that, Hayes likely wins this round because he is adorable.
Internet Presence
This one is kind of a trick question — Hayes is famous for being famous on the Internet. The hashtag #TeamSlayes explodes on Twitter when Hayes and his partner, Emma Slater, dance. Not to be outdone, #dancingbindi is also very, very popular on Monday and Tuesday nights. Who wins this one? It’s really hard to tell.
Dance Partner
Like I said before, Derek Hough is the golden child of Dancing With The Stars. He’s an amazing dancer, but I’m really feeling Hayes’ partner Emma Slater. Derek has been on Dancing With The Stars for, like, ever, and I always like to see the newer members of the cast get a chance. Hayes and Emma get my vote here.
So, can Hayes beat Bindi? Only time will tell, but I’ll bet that when the finals come, these two will be neck and neck.
Images: Adam Taylor/ABC; Giphy (4)
