I know that ABC has compiled a beautiful, interesting cast of celebrity dancers for Dancing With The Stars, but this season, I’m more partial to those who are mostly off-camera. Ryan Lochte is on Dancing With The Stars as a sort of apology to his crazy antics at the Rio Olympics (mea culpa, mea culpa), but it is definitely his grandmother who is stealing the show.
Ryan’s dance this week with partner Cheryl Burke was the cha cha, and Ryan’s grandmother sent them a private video telling them how excited she was to watch. She is Cuban (as is Ryan’s mother), and she told Ryan to remember his heritage when he danced. Later, as she watched the number, she looked slightly horrified at the grinding, gyrating, and the shirt ripping that happened during Ryan and Cheryl’s number, but in the end, she was delighted with Ryan’s performance. Ryan even teared up at her happiness — he said that his family is so important to him, so it means a lot that they’re there at Dancing With The Stars rooting for him. We’ve seen Ryan’s mom in the audience in prior weeks of Dancing With The Stars, but I think his grandmother is where he gets all of his fire.
Maybe Ryan’s grandma can be a commentator or something for a week. They always need people to host that live-streaming show that Dancing With The Stars references like four times in a broadcast. Grandma would probably do a better job of announcing than even the most seasoned broadcasters. She could also set a few dancers, straight, too.
Images: Eric McCandless/ABC
