‘DWTS’ judges get booed after iconic ’80s child actor lands lowest score during chaotic season 34 premiere
'The Goonies' star Corey Feldman and his 'DWTS' pro partner Jenna Johnson landed at the bottom of the scoreboard after getting the lowest score for their first dance. During the premiere episode of 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 34, which dropped on September 16, Feldman and Johnson performed a Tango dance routine to 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me' by Billy Joel, leaving the crowd astonished with their spins, dips, and swivels. When the judge Bruno Tonioli was asked to offer his feedback on the duo's performance, he praised Feldman for putting his personal spin on the Tango and described the performance as "great," but also asked him to "clean up the technique."
On the other hand, judge Derek Hough referred to Feldman as a "Hollywood icon" and stated that the performance was "fun to watch." Along with this, Hough also mentioned that there was a softness to him, but advised him to work on his technique. In case you're wondering, the O.G. 'DWTS' judge Carrie Ann Inaba missed the premiere episode due to an illness. Following that, Feldman chatted with the co-host Julianne Hough about his battle against scoliosis, which elicited sympathetic "oohs" from the audience, and he remarked, "DWTS is a gift."
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Soon after, the judges came down to business. Before turning up his paddle to reveal an episode-low score of 4, Hough went on to say, "Well, after that I feel terrible, but love you, buddy." At that point, a few boos echoed toward the judges' panel as Tonioli gave a score of 5 to Feldman and Johnson for their first dance. Then, Tonioli defended the newly ascended, pro-turned-judge Hough by reminding the studio audience, "He's doing his job!"
Feldman and Johnson seemed disappointed by their low combined score of 9. Still, as Julianne and her co-host, Feldman's childhood costar Alfonso Ribeiro, constantly remind the viewers, the support of the audience goes a long way in deciding the fate of contestants during eliminations that will kick off next week. While having a conversation with Hough as he waited for his final scores, Feldman shed light on his childhood connection to 'DWTS' Season 19 winner Ribeiro, alongside whom he featured in a 1984 Pepsi commercial led by Michael Jackson. "He's the tap dance kid! You can't argue with that. He was winning Tonys when I was still in Reseda," Feldman said, as per Entertainment Weekly.
Shortly afterward, Feldman candidly spoke bout his battle with scoliosis and explained, "I have to be honest, this is such a reward for me. Honestly, I was thinking for myself, 'How do I make myself better? How do I improve?' Because I have such terrible posture, I've had it since I was a kid, and this is such a gift landing in my lap, and it's helping me to fix a problem I've always wanted to get better." Season 34 of 'Dancing With the Stars' airs every Tuesday at 8 pm ET on ABC and Disney+. In addition to this, the fans can stream the new episodes on Hulu the next day.
