Dancing with the Stars is back on ABC's airwaves (and streaming via a Disney+ subscription) in the 2024 TV schedule for Season 33, and the Oscars-themed night delivered the first two eliminations. Anna Delvey, who was one of the most controversial competitors of the season before it even premiered, was also one of the first eliminated, and judge Carrie Ann Inaba isn't a fan of how Delvey reacted live on stage.
The controversy surrounding Delvey as a DWTS contestant is due to the fact that she can't be counted among the usual crop of actors, athletes, models, and reality TV stars, as she is in fact notorious as a con artist and convicted felon. In fact, in ABC's press release announcing the cast for Season 33, Delvey is described as "Notorious ankle bracelet fashionista Anna Delvey." After her elimination during the second episode of Dancing with the Stars' new season, she had a one-word response when co-host Julianne Hough asked what she'd take away from the DWTS experience: "Nothing."
While some viewers absolutely loved the reaction, longtime DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba doesn't share the sentiment. She told EW:
As for Anna, I was taken aback by her comment when asked what she learned from being on the show, and she flatly said, ‘Nothing.’ That was dismissive not only of the opportunity she was given, of her wonderful and supportive partner Ezra in his debut season, but also of all of us who work on the show-from the dancers to behind the scenes to the creative team. We all put in the effort to give her a fair opportunity. But I don’t think she could see that and it’s a shame. A little gratitude could have changed the narrative.
Carrie Ann Inaba was looking for a "little gratitude" out of Anna Delvey, whose scam story was the subject of Netflix's Inventing Anna series back in 2022, after which she expressed a desire to move beyond her "scammer" persona. She had to receive permission from ICE to join DWTS, and her casting for Season 33 was buzzworthy to the point that it was discussed on The View. If you missed the moment that Inaba didn't appreciate during the most recent episode of Dancing with the Stars, take a look:
While it is unfortunate that Anna Delvey's elimination also meant that partner Ezra Sosa's debut season as a Dancing with the Stars pro was cut short, Sosa himself doesn't seem bitter about being cut or her "Nothing" response. In the comment section of the Instagram post of the moment, he wrote:
i fear this will be on loop in my head for a while…iconic
Anna Delvey also took to her Instagram account to weigh in on her elimination with a message, a couple of days after the episode aired. In one of her Stories, she posted:
Grateful for all my amazing supporters who are smart enough to recognize and appreciate humor. Obsessed with all your DMs and reposts. Love and thanks for NOTHING!
Whatever the future holds for Anna Delvey, it now won't include continuing to work towards the Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars. She was one of two celebrities to be eliminated on Oscars Night, as Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Tori Spelling also didn't get enough votes to continue. All three of CinemaBlend's Mick Joest's picks as the Season 33 frontrunners are still going strong.
Keep tuning in to ABC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Dancing with the Stars Season 33 or stream the series with a Disney+ subscription. If you don't have access to the Disney streamer, you'll also be able to find Season 33 streaming with a Hulu subscription.
