As Dancing with the Stars waltzes into its third week, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of which celebrity might take home the Mirrorball Trophy. The first two weeks have been packed with drama, including a recent double elimination, and now the competition is truly heating up. As the stars begin to find their groove on the ballroom floor, here are my predictions on the ones who might dance their way to the end of the show.Â
WINNERS: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Robert Irwin was a fan favorite from the get go. With his charming personality, his family legacy (his sister Bindi won DWTS), and his online presence, many predicted that he’d go far on the show. His first two weeks have certainly lived up to the hype. Week 1, he performed a jive to “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf that received a 15 out of 20, tying him with competitor Whitney Leavitt for the highest score. The dance was an upbeat performance that certainly left a smile on my face. Week 2, he danced a tango to “Move Your Feet” by Junior Senior. While social media was a tad underwhelmed by this dance, I thought it was really cute. Robert is the only contestant to lip sync to the songs, which adds a lot of charisma and personality to the dance. They ended up scoring 22 out of 30, which once again tied them for the highest score. Robert is the perfect contestant, he has a great personality and amazing dance skills. I think they’ll go extremely far in the show, if not win it all.Â
FINALE (definitely finals, maybe winners): Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ star Whitney Leavitt is known for her killer TikTok dance moves. She also has an extensive competitive dance background and even has a bachelor’s degree in dance from BYU. Her skillset in dance, the popularity of her show, and the reputation of her partner, Mark Ballas, meant going into DWTS, there was a lot expected of her. Her Week 1 tango to the song, “Golden,” from the movie, KPop Demon Hunters, scored 15 out of 20, which put her at the top of the leaderboard with Robert Irwin. The dance was AMAZING! Her dance background really came through and it was my favorite dance of the night. Week 2, she performed a high-intensity Cha Cha to “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. This was also my second favorite dance of the night. It was so much fun and despite Whitney’s small mistake, was extremely well-received by the judges. Whitney and Mark scored a 22 out of 30, once again tying them at number 1 with Robert Irwin. Whitney is a shoe-in for the finals and is definitely going to give Robert some tough competition for the Mirrorball Trophy.Â
THE DARK HORSES (potential finals or semifinals contestants) Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
Olympian gold-medalist Jordan Chiles’ sheer athleticism and performance experience made her a highly anticipated contestant going into the season. Paired with fan-favorite pro Ezra Sosa, Jordan’s Week 1 salsa to Beyonce’s “Break My Soul,” had a lot of flips and flair that highlighted Jordan’s background. While fans relatively enjoyed the dance for its’ fun personality, the judges were less positive about it and gave her a score of 10 out of 20, putting her towards the bottom of the leaderboard. However, she certainly made up for this low score in Week 2, where she performed a jive to “Maniac” by Michael Sembello. This was by far my favorite dance of the night. It was fun, energetic, challenging, and extremely well-executed. The judges also loved this dance giving her a 22 out of 30 (the same score as Robert Irwin and Whitney Leavitt). Judge Carrie Ann Inaba even compared Jordan’s performance style to Tina Turner’s! Although she’s currently sitting in the middle of the leaderboard at 8th place, Jordan’s upward trajectory is impossible to ignore. If she keeps delivering high-energy performances with the same level of commitment and flair, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in the semifinals, or even the finals.Â
With Week 3 right around the corner, the competition on Dancing with the Stars is getting intense, and this season is quickly becoming one of the most exciting yet. While the Mirrorball Trophy is still weeks away, I feel confident in my early predictions, and you can bet I’ll be tuning in each week to see how it all unfolds.