So, Erin: Kitschiest episode ever! I wanted Bergeron to come out in an I Dream of Jeannie costume.
I thought it was so much fun! I was dying watching it and thinking to myself, "If this was my season, I wonder what they would've given Max and I. Because you know they choose the themes based off of the relationships. Brandy and Maks got the Friends thing because it's like, testing their relationship. It makes sense that they did the fun, silly one with Bristol because they needed her to kind of get out of her shell. I was dying to know what ours would've been.
What do you think they'd have chosen for your cast?
You know we would've gotten Baywatch.
I was going to suggest Moonlighting for you.
Totally. Or maybe Grey's Anatomy? Something with surgeons?
Your old partner Maksim had a great week with Brandy, earning the highest score of the night. What was your reaction to that?
I know Maks had a tough week because his grandmother passed away. Obviously they didn't show that in the feature. [Based on] everything that I heard from him, the show really helped him out with dealing with that. So I was happy to see [Maks and Brandy] not fighting and getting along. I haven't met Brandy yet, but I know how much everybody puts into that. By the time Monday comes and you see the feature they've put together, it's like -- if you've been fighting all week, you've finally gotten through the week, and then you see the feature where you've been arguing -- you're like, "Gosh, really? This is the focus?" That's why I kind of felt bad for Derek and Jennifer. You work so hard, and then you see, "Oh, crap, we're going to be fighting. This isn't good." So I was happy Brandy and Maks had kind of gotten their act together.
Last week you said that Brandy needed to stop and listen a bit more with Maks. Do you think she did that?
It sounds like she kind of figured out that he's a perfectionist. I made this comparison at the time: He's like a lot of coaches that I look up to in the sports world. He demands a lot of his students. When you come into that show being the best that you are in your profession and you've got someone who's demanding of you and you don't know really what you're doing, it's very hard and you become very insecure. So you have to kind of figure out your groove in the relationship with him. I don't know if I ever figured it out. It looks like she kind of figured it out. And you know what? The competition is getting tougher. She's going to have to learn two dances. It tests you and tests your patience. She's still going to have to learn about how to handle him, but I'm glad it looked like they got off to a better start.
Do you think he needs to adapt to her just as much as she adapts to him?
Oh, I absolutely think every professional has to adapt to their students. Maks had to figure out how testy I got, and he knew that if my blood sugar was going down, it was time to get out of there and go get a coffee or a smoothie, because I wouldn't pay attention and I'd get crabby. He knew not to have practices too early in the morning because I was exhausted. He knew when I needed to be fed, he knew what things to joke with me about and when to push me, absolutely. Both sides have to figure out what the best way to work together is.
It's funny that Audrina forced herself to eat an onion and ruin her breath this week to help deal with the pressure of a romantic dance. Are the "romantic" parts of a routine nerve-wracking? Did you think about them a lot ahead of time?
Well, there's two things about that. I would always get in trouble on that show for chewing gum. I was always insecure about my breath. It's just something that bothers me in my life now, like when I interview athletes or coaches. Dancing with this gorgeous man for seven hours a day, I was like, "My breath cannot smell." So I constantly had to have gum in my mouth. The producers would yell at me and be like, "I need you to take the gum out because you can't be chomping on-screen." And I'd say, "No, I'm sorry, I don't want my breath to smell with him." So when Audrina did this onion thing, I was like, "I am so confused." That would not make me want to be romantic! Maks wouldn't come near me if I didn't have gum in my mouth, and I'd push him away and say, "My breath smells, don't come near me."
The romance part -- if you saw Bristol, you know how they want her to be passionate and stuff like that -- I find it to be really hard! It was really hard for me, especially with Pam [Anderson] on our cast. She could make anything sexual with anything. I was like a 15-year-old schoolgirl, I felt so stupid. I didn't think I looked sexy; I think I looked like a tomboy. So I can really identify with Audrina and, you know, Carrie Ann saying to her, "You've got to show more in your face." I think she said, "From the neck down you're great, but you've got to show more in your face." It's really, really hard. Especially when Tony had said that the dance was supposed to be like they're making love? How do you do that to The Hills theme? I was so confused!
Yeah, "Unwritten" is not a sexy song.
Not at all!
Florence Henderson had the odds stacked against her with the Brady Bunch theme, I thought.
They really were. And to try to do the tango? That was kind of unfair.
Speaking of Bristol, what did you make of her monkey suit routine? Did it help her or hurt her, ultimately?
I know what Mark [Ballas, Bristol's partner] was trying to do. I feel like, and maybe I'm wrong -- I don't want to speak out of turn -- I feel like she forgot the routine in the beginning. If anything, I thought [the monkey suits] were a little distracting. I don't know if it kind if wigged her out a little bit. I can't imagine trying to dance in heels and a monkey suit. So I give her credit for doing that. But I was also thinking to myself, "How does she see out of it? How does she know when to take it off?" She's obviously very nervous anyway, and I think it kind of messed her up. Maybe I'm wrong, but that was my evaluation. I felt really bad for her this week. When they showed that shot of the "celebrity aquarium," as we used to call it, the others were all cheering for her. I saw everybody's face and I felt bad because, and I don't know the dirt right now, but you can tell they just felt bad. She looked upset, and she looked like she forgot a little bit of it. I don't think it worked out the way Mark planned it. I give him credit though because he's trying everything to help her. That's why I love those pros. They really do try to take any steps they can to get you to succeed. He's trying everything he can, and I know he's doing it to help her.
He's done well with her. She's had her good moments.
He has! I thought she was so cute in that red costume. I don't remember what she did, but even when she danced to the Bruno Mars song, she was so sweet. I think everyone's trying to pull it out of her. You're doing it in front of 19 million people watching. For me, it was in high heels!
Now, Florence was eliminated instead of Kyle or Bristol, who both scored less than she did. Was that justified?
It's crazy the way that works out. I could never figure it out when we were on the show. The one time we got our highest scores, we were in the bottom two with Pam. I was just like, "I don't get this. These are our best scores and I'm in the bottom two." It really comes down to the audience participation. It's not only the scores, but your fans have to call in. That week, Maks and I were doing everything we could. We were on Ellen and Ryan Seacrest because we thought maybe our fans were getting a little lazy. So I don't know if Florence just didn't get the fans on the phone or what happened. It's just so scary. You think you got great scores and you think, "What just happened?"
Which is more nerve-wracking: Performance day or elimination day?
Elimination day. I always had a stomach ache. Poor Maks, he'd always say, "Come on! You're good! You're fine!" I was just like, "We're going home." There were a couple of times, that day in particular with Pam and I in the bottom two, and also the elimination before we went to the final when we were up against Chad [Ochocinco] and Cheryl [Burke] -- if you look, you can see when they say, "The next elimination is Pam and Damian" or "Cheryl and Chad," my facial expression doesn't change. I'm just sitting there. First of all I was in shock, and I think with our cast, we were all so close and felt bad when anyone went home. Maks would say to me, "Come on, aren't you happy?" But I'd say, "I feel bad for Pam or Cheryl." That's what this cast is going to start experiencing. As weeks go by, they're going to get closer as everyone continues to get sent home. And now, it's going to start being your really good friends. It's a bad feeling.
What can we anticipate in the weeks to come?
Say they get rid of whoever they get rid of next week -- what week are we in, week six?
Yes, the fifth duo was just eliminated.
Once we get into seven, that's a great, great group of dancers where it's kind of like, "Yeah, I can see groups one and two are the better ones." But what about the group that's hanging in there? You start to see who's going to separate themselves and maybe make it into that night, the finals. This is the most difficult time because it starts getting nerve-wracking. The first couple weeks, let's be honest, you figure out, "This person may go home." But once you get to this part, it's tough. You don't want them to go home and you don't want to go home. It's a lot like our season last year. I think that Jennifer Grey is a lot like Nicole [Scherzinger]. Rick [Fox] and Kurt [Warner] are right there with Evan [Lysacek]. Brandy is better than me, so I don't want to say she's me.
Oh, please. Please.
No, she is! She's already getting better scores. She's obviously so much better. She doesn't look awkward when she dances.
Oh, get out. You had total command.
Oh, I love you. Thank you.
Between Kyle Massey, Kurt Warner, and Rick Fox, do you think somebody here could be a breakout star?
I think there still could be a breakout star. We all see that the favorites are, you know, Jennifer and... I believe it's Rick, and I believe Kurt and Brandy are right there. And Audrina's right there. I think Kyle's phenomenal, and I still think he has it in him for the next couple of weeks to go out there and do a great routine. I think Lacey is a fabulous choreographer with great ideas. If Kyle comes out does a couple of wham-bam numbers, and people will be like, "Well, hello!" He could be up there with the three dominant guys in Kurt, Kyle, and Rick. I really think if Kyle wanted to, he could throw a wrench into this.
Tell us what you're looking forward to next week.
I'm looking forward to being in the audience! I'll be there on Monday night. It should be so funny. I hope Evan will be there with me, and I'm not sure if he'll be in town. It's going to be so fun not to be judged and not waiting on results. I'm so excited to scream and cheer for everybody and give everyone a hug. I told Evan if we end up sitting together in the audience, we should bring our paddles and do our own British voices and give out our own scores. So, yeah, I may actually do that.