At the very start of Dancing with the Stars' 35th season, I thought Harry Shum Jr. was the ultimate frontrunner. However, I quickly came to love Ezra Frech. His story is remarkable and empowering. Plus, he’s so naturally talented, and he's partnered with one of my favorite pros, Daniella Karagach. So, as the weeks have passed on the 2026 TV schedule, I’ve wanted him to win. However, as each episode has gone by and that appreciation for Frech has stayed consistent, my love for Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov just keeps growing stronger and stronger.
While I always thought Amber was one to watch, she’s proven time and time again that she and her partner are helping set the gold standard for this season. Then, the figure skater went on the Zach Sang Show to talk about her experience on DWTS, and she said something about winning that really made her the frontrunner in my mind. When asked what it’d mean to get Pasha his first mirrorball, the Olympian said:
That would mean the world, because, I’ve said this before, is that I came into this competition, of course, who doesn’t want to win. But it wasn’t like, ‘I need this because I’ve worked my entire life for it.’ Like, I’ve been dancing for two months. Yes, it has been a very intense, very passionate two months of working, but it has been his whole life that he has been dancing. And he’s been on the show for, I believe, nine seasons. And every single year, he has put his everything into every single celeb he’s had.
Pasha has been on the show for eight seasons, and with each year, I love him and his wife, Daniella, even more. Seriously, season after season, I find myself more invested in the pros than the stars. That’s because they’re there year after year, and I get to know them all quite well through the show and social media. So, while I adore them all, and my love for Daniella is very strong, I have wanted Pasha to get his flowers really, really badly.
In his eight seasons, the highest place he’s ever gotten is third, and he deserves a win. Amber is the perfect person to help him do it. As she explained, he wanted to have an athlete as a partner, and she has “the stamina and the physical capabilities” to do tougher dances. She also complimented her partner’s ability to teach, and ended up saying:
There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be able to make this happen besides me limiting myself.
Her drive to do this for her partner is so endearing, and it’s now a big reason why I want her to win. Along with that, the Olympian went on to detail how much work the pros have to do for this show. While it looks hard for the stars, the pros have to do twice as much, and she wants Pasha to get recognized for it, explaining:
He has been putting everything into this, and I really want for everyone to see him succeed. Because it is technically, you know, every year it’s the celeb, but it’s also about the pros. Like, he is putting – imagine how much work I’m putting into it; he’s doing twice the amount. He has to choreograph; he has to do so many visual selections. Like, there’s so much that the pro does for every single show that people don’t see. So, yes, it’s about the celebrity and who wins, but it is also about the pro.
Of course, all the pros have to do this, and I'm sure their stars would praise them the same way Amber praised Pasha. However, her passion is infectious, and that, paired with their fun and high-quality dances, makes them my No. 1 couple.
Plus, of the vets still on the show who have been there for over seven seasons, Mark Ballas, Jenna Johnson, and Daniella have won before; Pasha has not.
So, yes, while I’ll be happy if Ezra and Daniella win, because they are amazing, right now, I’m rooting harder for Amber and Pasha. They are killing it week after week, and Amber’s drive to win for her pro and get him his first mirrorball is making me even more motivated to text “Amber” to 21523 as many times as I possibly can.
Now, to see who takes home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, make sure to tune in to the last few weeks of Dancing with the Stars on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET either on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.
