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'DWTS' Season 30: Matt James showed more personality than on 'The Bachelor', say fans

Matt James not only impressed the judges with his moves but left fans completely surprised, seeing that this version of him was a whole new one

Season 30 of 'Dancing With The Stars' is here with a bang and the season premiere saw some interesting and exciting performances. This year, among the celebrity line-up, is Matt James, from Season 25 of 'The Bachelor'. Although James made history as the first black lead on the show, his season dealt with its fair share of criticism. 

Although James was not a fan-favorite during his season, his run on 'DWTS' might change that. James danced the Cha Cha to 'Give It To Me Baby' by Rick James with pro-dancer Lindsay Arnold. Here's what fans and judges had to say about his performance!

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Len Goodman pointed out that James could use a lot more hip action during his movements to not come across as stiff.  Derek Hough stated that he was charismatic on the dance floor and a great performer in general. Bruno Tonioli felt as though James had a lot more to offer, but did manage to deliver, seeing that this was his first performance. 
Carrie Ann Inaba spoke about James' iffy footwork but reminded him that practice could solve it. All of the judges agreed that they were glad to see him use his height and general space to his advantage. He and Arnold scored a decent 24 points. 

Fans were thoroughly shocked to see James come alive on stage with nearly all of Twitter pointing out that this side of him was a far cry from what fans saw on 'The Bachelor'. 

"#DWTS Well, look at that. Matt's personality shines through more then the entire season of #TheBachelor." tweeted a fan. "Sorry Matt. I'm too disappointed in you to root for you. Nice that you're finally showing some personality tho. #DWTS" added another. "Matt James bringing more personality in 5 minutes of #DWTS than he did on a whole season of #TheBachelor…" agreed a fan. "Matt showing his personality like we were robbed of on his season. This is why I'm so excited he was cast this season. #DWTS" pointed out another. 

While James couldn't seem to catch a break regarding his 'The Bachelor' run versus his 'DWTS' run, fans pointed out that the key to him thriving on the show could be pro-dancer Lindsay Arnold. Arnold won Season 25 of the show and even has a second runner-up and two third runner-up titles to her name. 
"@DancingABC #DWTS #dwts Matt James really lucked out w/Lindsey, better than he deserves. He has gr8 energy & his movement intention connects to his face, which is good. I find them aesthetically pleasing as a team, they compliment each other. I think Lindsey'll beat him n2 shape" said a fan. "Matt was pretty damn good! He for sure has potential and Carrie Ann is absolutely right I love that he wasn't afraid to use his height to his advantage. I think he's gonna be great at the ballroom dances. Plus with Lindsay as his pro he'll do great! #DWTS" agreed a fan. 

Watch 'Dancing With The Stars' on Monday at 8/7c on ABC. You can also stream the episodes on abc.com and Hulu.