Elizabeth Berkley says Dancing With the Stars was “seeking ‘reality show’ drama and even creating it when it didn’t exist” during her season.
The Saved by the Bell actress competed in 2013 on season 17 with professional partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
She made the comments beneath an Oct. 6 Instagram video from fellow former contestant Jennie Garth, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“The show has changed for the better since we did it,” Berkley wrote. She praised its focus on joy and contestants’ journeys, along with the talent she said had always been there.
A Perfect Salsa Score Came on Her Elimination Night
On Nov. 11, 2013, Berkley earned 26 points for a Viennese waltz and a perfect 30 for a trio salsa with Chmerkovskiy and fellow professional Gleb Savchenko, according to ABC News.
Her combined total of 56 out of 60 placed her second on the judges’ leaderboard, behind Corbin Bleu’s 58. She and Chmerkovskiy were eliminated in week nine, one week before the semifinals. The result combined judges’ scores with viewer votes.
The audience booed when co-host Tom Bergeron announced the result. Speaking on Good Morning America the following morning, Berkley said she was disappointed because she felt “we had more dances in us,” while stressing that she did not feel entitled to stay.
She also credited Chmerkovskiy with helping her reconnect with the dancing she had loved as a child and pushing her to improve each week.
Earlier in the competition, Berkley and Chmerkovskiy had earned the season’s first perfect score for their Oct. 21 cha-cha to Joss Stone’s “Put Your Hands on Me.”
Garth Had Avoided Watching for Nearly Two Decades
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Garth competed with Derek Hough in season 5 in 2007. In her Instagram video, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress said she had largely stayed away from watching the series afterward.
When her daughter Lola suggested watching season 35, Garth initially refused. Hearing the familiar music and announcers brought back the fear she had felt before performing live and being judged.
In an Oct. 6 bonus episode of I Choose Me with Jennie Garth, she recalled enjoying the costumes, makeup and work with Hough. Watching the current contestants helped her remember the satisfaction of learning difficult routines and performing them in front of an audience.
Rewatching Her Own Dances Brought a Surprise
At Lola’s urging, they also looked up Garth’s old performances. “I was surprised that I wasn’t as bad as I thought I was in the moment,” she said on the podcast.
Garth recalled rehearsing nine to 10 hours a day and struggling with pressure she put on herself to be perfect. She also said she tried hypnotherapy to manage her nerves during the competition.
She is open to dancing again, including privately, but has no plans in place. After finding an old pair of tap shoes from before her DWTS season, she dusted them off and placed them on a table in her foyer, where she sees them whenever she comes home.