Dancing with the Stars: Whitney & Mark's Final Dance

27:46So once I met her, we kind of hit it off pretty quickly. We had fun and, like, we laugh a lot. We roast each other all day. Yeah. Which is fun for me. I love the banter. Whitney. Yeah. How would you describe Mark as a coach?

28:02You can let it rip now. Go for it. Absolutely.

28:08Mark is so good at showing you what you can do. And there'd be so many times where I'm like, there's just no way. Like, I don't. What are you talking about? But he pushes you. He's going to push you. He's going to be hard on you because he believes that you can do that. And then I'll do it. And then I'd be like, fuck yeah. You know, and I needed that. What is the biggest challenge that the two of you had to overcome in the early days to really make this partnership work? We vibed right away. Like we just like hit it off. Like I just think sometimes people just naturally connect and we naturally connected.

28:47But I actually feel like the hardest thing in our relationship was the hate that we got online. Like I had experienced it, but having someone that I loved and care about so much like experience that like in turn hurt me. And then we experienced it together. That was probably the hardest part. Can we talk about that, though? Because it's like, take me to week one, because I'm assuming that week one was not completely clouded by this hatred yet because it grew and it grew and it grew. It was fun. What was week one like and how were you guys nervous? Did you feel prepared? Well, I also want to preface this as well.

29:24Like, and I know kind of mentioned this before, like a big part of me wanting to do this season too, is that my son is old enough to understand, you know, and it's like, I'm again, I'm turning 40 next year. I don't know how much longer I can like do this at the level where I can watch myself back and be like, I can still do it. so I was really excited for my son to like watch it and be like that's my dad you know what I mean even he's only two but he can still like when we watch the dances back he points at the screen he's like daddy you know what I mean so I was like super excited for that so yeah the first four weeks I felt like we're a blast like we did that first tango to golden and then it was the play that funky music cha-cha yeah that's what I told Alex too I said like week five was when Yeah, it was around like, so you were on a high at first.

30:11You're getting some of the highest scores. You're you're vibing together. I did ask Whitney about this earlier. And I want to get your take, Mark, though. One of the things that people really focused on with Whitney was her dance background. Yeah. And there was a lot of conversation whether or not she had an unfair advantage. What is your take? My take is that the show, again, we're in season 34. And I feel like when you look at the graph of the people, new fans watching it, it is off the scale. So there are a lot of people watching for the first time. I can tell you from someone who's been a part of the show since season five that I don't think you could tell me one season where there hasn't been someone with dance experience.

30:52Like when you're casting one of these shows, it's called Dancing with the Stars. You're picking people that are known from their fields and mostly all derived from the entertainment industry or they're an athlete or they're on television. And I would say if you're trying to pick 12 to 14 celebrities in the entertainment industry, someone's going to have dance experience. And I can tell you from season two, Mario Lopez, Sabrina Bryan, my first partner, Nicole Scherzing or Jordan Fisher. you know we've had ice skaters we've had Olympic gymnast Charlie D 'Amelio Jojo Siwa Jennifer Grey this season we have a few people also with dance experience the thing I think that for Whitney specifically if we're talking about in this context that I think for people was like oh wow like it's really powerful is that she is a dynamic performer and that's something that I can't teach you're born with that you're born with when you walk in the room you're like let's get it like like you know what i mean like you can develop it over time and you'll see there's some great dancers whose technique is just like whoa and then you have some dancers whose performance quality is like whoa and it's like the the goal is to try and bridge the two together and that takes time like a fine example is that your first week two cha-cha to play that funky music compared to your Prince Knight cha-cha, like to a coach or someone that's in this field, like it's night and day, but the performance quality is the same.

32:21Still there. You know. Let's talk about improvement. Yeah. Because this was one of the biggest conversations online as to why people should still be there, why they shouldn't be there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fans understandably are looking for the stars to improve as the show goes on with their coach. But this season, it felt like Whitney was penalized because she started off very strong. Mark, what is your take on this? Again, my take on the improvement thing is like, to me as a coach, this is not a biased thing. She will tell you in rehearsal, I am relentless in the pursuit of making things get better.

33:07like like even today when we were rehearsing for this what we start talking about pivoting your feet and i was like it's week 11 you know like there's things that we're constantly always trying to iron in and this is for all the professionals the professionals in our show do such a fabulous job at taking anyone at their level and improving them now when someone has a little bit less experience the improvement can look like this right but if we look at the cha-cha one to cha-cha to it's night and days between leg action footwork tightness and turns even as your partner like sometimes i felt like i would have to like hone you in a little bit out there on the floor if we look at her vini's waltz frame like the ballroom frame compared to like your tango week one there's like huge improvements there you know you're coming out so strong i'm curious if you think that this is gonna affect how contestants strategize moving forward here's what i'll say I can't speak for other people's strategy Or how they approach the competition I can only speak from experience From mine And we talked about this at the beginning My strategy is always Do your fucking best Come out swinging Do the best you can Because the reality is I'm going to tell you right now This is not the first time that someone Who is an amazing incredible dynamic performer Has been eliminated early It happened to me in season 5 with Sabrina Bryant but this is the first time I feel like it's happened with this new TikTok and Instagram hype like this has been happening on Dancing with the Stars so to underserve yourself to underserve your performance for strategy I just don't think it's the move like I feel like if you can do the dance and you feel good like do your best you just don't know because you don't know if you're getting the votes you know great great advice um a controversy that both of you experienced this season was around the ticket giveaway.

35:04We have to address it. How do you think this affected your guys standing on the show? Who's taking it? I'll take it. Okay. Thanks, Mark. You're like, you go. I'm going to paint this picture for you, right? When this came up, I promise you, it was super innocent. It was just like - So casual. So casual. Yeah. We had talked to teams about it. Hey, we want to do a fun giveaway. Other people had done giveaways, but there's context to it right i'll tell you when when i was when we talked about it i was in the middle of putting three dances together it was what week was it it was the um the marathon it was the marathon week so your dance was brain the halloween dance and the hustle and the lindy hop right so all my energy was into that and we were like hey could we do something fun give away for friends yeah let's do it come on sure fine probably in hindsight should have checked like in this context um there was only two tickets to give away we've given away tickets to fans lots of times um the um there was no there was no prove to us you're voting for us i think whitney articulated even in the video like even if you're not voting for us this is an experience for everyone it's just meant to be a bit of fun it was two tickets like when it all got that backlash crazy i was like you know what guys like me and my wife just won't vote for me and it'll cancel itself out what do you think really got misconstrued about that entire situation just like the gravity of it and how much effect it would have i'm actually not sure and like probably on me a little bit like after so many seasons i probably should have ran it up the flagship and and be like hey is it cool to do this but i just didn't think like well it's same for me too we just had so much on our plate yeah we were just like excited to do it but it wasn't our tickets to give away and yeah and and it was like posted a dumb photo of me in the comments and we'll pick someone at random and um i probably should have checked so i'll take accountability for that because i've been on the show for so long but in the moment three dances five days to do it i just just didn't think there is nothing that makes me happier than when i get a compliment from someone and they say Alex you smell delicious okay I mean is there anything better than someone telling you you smell good no and you want to know what I'm wearing you already know what I'm wearing Yves Saint Laurent Beauty okay let's go if you are looking for a new statement fragrance Yves Saint Laurent's iconic Leap collection is everything you've been looking for to turn heads and feel your most confident the vanilla fragrances are all the rage and Yves Saint Laurent's Leap Vanille Couture is the best one out there.

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38:22Just answer whatever comes to your mind. Okay. At the same time or one at a time? Both of you answer. Okay. What was the hardest dance to learn? Argentine tango. I knew you were going to say that. What would you say? Probably that one. Argentine tango. What dance are you the most proud of? Argentine Tango and the Hamilton Foxtrot I love that dance but I also love the dance we did to the Green Day song that was super cool what's a dance move that almost got you injured in rehearsal the Argentine Tango ending lift I'm telling you right now that Argentine Tango at least my knees just bruises because when you do those little flickity dickities you run into each other and so the amount of bruises I had all over my legs the trick at the end you should like roll clip now like yeah she does this like helicopter thing and then her leg actually wraps around my knee and i go to the knee i wore two knee pads because of the speed it comes at like it's you know it's a it was a i was very nervous all day i was even when my wife my wife comes to the show and she hangs out with me before a little bit and she's like how you doing i was like this one's this one's high risk yeah so when we hit that final pose I was like yes yeah I started laughing yeah what dance do you think the judges robbed you on this is fun this is fun this is fun we're not it's not petty I'm forcing them to answer it no one come for us

39:52you want me to answer no I'm not saying I did not I did not Whitney say it

40:01okay i'm gonna say it go on whatever you guys are so scarred from the internet like hating you that you're like nothing it okay perfect okay ask me again and i'll say it say it okay um i feel like the second time we did the cha-cha when we did our last dance like i was like so honed in on that one like i thought for sure we were gonna get a perfect score so that one for me i was a bit bummed that we get a perfect score on that one hey we'll mark you self dancer i mean you know i would probably um uh dang yeah would you agree with me on the cha-cha yeah i think you know what okay i'll say this okay i'll say this because we got dropped to a nine on that dance and nine ten ten is a great score by the way let's just get that out yes like we love the judges but like it It was the, I think, the comment of like, it was focusing too much on the technique.

40:57And I was like, okay, like, let me go back as a coach. That's my job. Let me go back. And when I watched it back, she looked like she was having the time of her life. That face was like lit up. So, you know. No, that's a good answer. Who was the harshest judge? Ooh. And we're not putting this judge down. Just like the Simon Cowell of. Like, who was the person you're like, oh, like, I need them to, I want them to. Mine changed. Mine changed. In the beginning, I felt like it was Derek. And then towards the end, for me, it felt like it was Carrie Ann. What is your take, Mark, on all of the backlash that Carrie Ann did receive this past season?

41:34People commenting on her looks or people commenting on... Well, that's... I hate that. Yeah. Because Carrie Ann is a lovely person. And, you know, I've known her a very long time. And getting that... Again, this is a fun dance competition show. It's meant to bring joy. It's meant to bring happiness. and she's been employed to judge and give her critiques and give her opinion. And obviously, again, taste is not a debatable subject and not everyone's going to agree with what she has to say. But I feel like tearing a woman down that's doing her job is never acceptable. We now need to get to the elimination.

42:09Yes. You both said you felt it coming. Yeah. Was it because you didn't feel as good about your dance? Were you in your heads about social media? No, like I felt our dances were solid. Like that being these waltz that we did, like that was one of my favorite dances that we've done. Like I was so excited to perform that dance. It was just it just felt off like something just it didn't feel like the other Tuesdays that we had had. Like it just felt off for me. One thing I'll tell you is like I'm a I'm an over-rehearser. I like to rehearse to the point where it's just so ingrained in your body. I hate leaving things to chance.

42:45Might be old school, but that's how I was raised when I was dancing. It's just you rehearse it, rehearse it, rehearse it, so you don't have to think. And in between our first dance and second one, we were over at the other side running it through. And you got I could you were just emotional. And like I could tell that you felt something. I kind of had to go into football coach mode at that point where I was just like, you know, like backstage because I was starting to get worried that she's going to go out there and black out. But you guys, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the fact that Secret Lives came out the week before.

43:20the internet is absolutely tearing you apart like even if you were trying to put it to the back of your mind how could it not be like somewhat in your body where you're going home you're looking at your phone you know what i mean and i think too like when we were on the backstage rehearsing it endlessly i had felt like that this was our last dance which in turn like made it a little bit more emotional interesting well you guys scored a 58 out of 60 for your two performances but america still sent you home which was one of the highest scores that night yeah why do you ultimately think that you were eliminated i don't know i like what you mean like what led us like not getting the votes you think i don't know i mean i would if i was speculating i would say yeah maybe secret lives because it was such a huge divide like you either really loved me for that or you really hated me for that so maybe it swayed some people like i don't know um yeah what do you think i've just done this for so long like on dancing like it's i i couldn't pinpoint it and i would hate to say it was Secret Lives or it was this because, you know, Secret Lives aside, again, I'm not too privy to all the stuff on that, but this show has had its fan base for 20 years.

44:44The show has been going now. Like, we just had the 20th birthday for the show, you know, and we've had loyal fans that have been with us for a very long time. And sometimes this shit happens, you know, and it's like, I think with such a stacked cast and really great talent great talent all around um you get to the point where we don't we don't know the votes like whitney said earlier but like i'm assuming like i'm i'm assuming it's going like this like one week someone might just have a number that really moves somebody and maybe some weeks someone who's been voting one way will be like you know what i'm gonna throw these votes this way and i i i couldn't even pinpoint it to one thing i think you know with the intensity of the show and how big it's gotten which i love so much you know everybody's been getting like backlash online it wasn't just us yes ours was very intense but when something's this big i'm sure as you know like there's always going to be naysayers there's always going to be people like hating on you um i think there was just like a window of weeks where it was just like it was intense god damn well god damn well that's what i was to say because a lot of people online are like you can't vote people off so on dancing with the stars yeah the point is to vote for your favorite star and your favorite pair correct to advance in the competition we all know that yes but this season maybe because of social media and how there are so many conversations going on on the side that maybe people weren't able to have in the past but this season people started to actively ban together online and we're saying let's vote for everyone but yes except for whitney and mark correct and so there was a gamification happening where then technically you're like no so you are kind of trying to vote someone off because you're voting for everyone not just your favorite star everyone but you right when did you guys first realized this was happening um probably week five yeah like because i was like even for me i've been on the show for so long like when i would see those comments i'm like oh you must be new like you can't vote somebody off like that doesn't exist um however over the years the voting systems has changed we used to have two shows two shows a week meaning um there would be a result show the next day we don't have that at the moment um and you know the votes when the show's live you can vote right but then as the discourse continued i did see like oh that's the loophole is that they vote for everyone but and i like honestly for me i was like a oh moment after like again i always say there's not much that surprises me on this show because i've done it for so long that was that was new info for me i was like wow okay how did that affect your dancing then you guys are in these rooms together trying your hardest to prepare but then you're also like the internet is literally gamifying this and finding the loophole of how to vote for everyone but i was like did it affect your morale in terms of like is it even worth giving it our all if we know that this is the way it's gonna go yeah like you were laughing so you don't start crying yeah this is the thing like um and this is what at least for me i was so grateful with this friendship is because there would be a day where maybe like it really got to me.

48:10And then Mark would be like, no, like, let's let's keep working our asses off and just like put great work out on that stage. And then other days it would shift. Like and then Mark would be having a really hard day. And I'm like, no, let's work our asses off and like go put out some really great shit. Like, luckily, I feel like there was never a day where it was both of us, because I think if it was ever at that point, like that would have been really hard. I think the tipping point, honestly, for me was I was putting my son to bed and like literally I was like putting him to bed. And then as like seconds after I did that, I opened my phone to just the wildest video.

48:51If you don't mind, could you share maybe some of the comments that got to you guys the most? Oh, I could read you one, actually. It's The one that you just caught? Yeah Oh wow It's wild Okay This is really heavy Do you I'm ready You can edit it out if you not want No But like this is one that I just got Like randomly Okay Like are you This is after one of our dances Are you that cheap of a cunt To rot and do this Damn you're special You're completely worthless And I hope you fucking burn in hell one day That's just one of them And that's, they're relentless like that.

49:37Over a dance show.

49:41Guys. Like, I actually just have like full body chills because I'm like, I understand again, like you're watching this through cameras and you're sitting at home and this is fun and it's the night before Thanksgiving and people watching. But like, guys, this is like horrible shit over, again, a dance show. And I'm not even putting it down. It's like, keep in mind what it's supposed to be. It's supposed to bring people happiness and together. And so to be sending that level of hatred for what? What have you done? I think also the thing is it's like, I think there's a narrative of like, well, you wanted to be in the entertainment industry.

50:21You signed up for this. No, you don't sign up for that. I didn't sign up for that. No human being signed up for that. I signed up to dance, to choreograph, to make music, to be on stage, to entertain people, to bring happiness, to bring joy. Mark, even if they said your dance was horrible. I didn't like that dance. That wasn't good. Yes. Fair. Love that. Totally. Love that. I have dances where I watch mine back and I'm like, I hate that. It's horrible. Not good. Not good. And that's the great part. That's the fun part, right? It's like art is meant to be subjective. I'm well aware people aren't going to like everything that I make.

50:50And that's okay. I'm really sorry, though. that's not healthy and that's not normal and again unveiling it's like people can read what they want but then they get to go to bed you're sitting with your son and you're reading these things about yourself and so then to get up the next morning and then now let's turn to you what are some of the comments you were getting i will say i've definitely become a little bit more desensitized to it. Yeah. Because I've experienced it for years. But I think like what was a little bit triggering was watching someone experience that for the first time. For something, for what?

51:34Like it just, it made no sense to me. And then I also at times felt like it was my fault because I was like, oh, like maybe it's because maybe it's because of me maybe it's because he's partnered with me so then it felt like my fault like it was just like a roller coaster of emotions like during that time a large conversation about you was that you are too opportunistic and that you wanted to win too badly and you were quote arrogant how does that make you feel when you hear that back yeah I mean I'm gonna be honest honestly I never thought I was winning Dancing with the Stars I really didn't we really knew that we knew that like we just um but I wanted that experience and I would hope that anyone that had a dream or something that they want in their life or experience that they want that they would go after it not to put anyone down along the way but to go after it and that's what I've always that's how I've always been it's like oh I I'm this is something that I want in my life This is a dream that I have.

52:38I'm going to, while still having my morals and values, go after that. I think there was a lot of people online that were supporters of you that came out that started to say, this is beyond misogynistic. We're calling her arrogant. We'd call a man ambitious. Like her coming out on Secret Lives being like, yeah, I want to do this show. It really rubbed people clearly the wrong way to have a woman be so centered and sure of herself and know what she wants and to go for it. And I'm curious, like, do you think had you been a little bit more shy and demure and quiet and just like overly grateful, grateful, do you think that paired with your dancing abilities, you would have had just a better outcome on social media for yourself?

53:26you mean if I was a man yeah if I was a man then yeah I think it would have been fine I think they would have said fuck yeah you go after that meanwhile you're like but I'm not yeah but we start all crying yeah I'm a mom with three kids and it just doesn't work it just doesn't work and to be honest like when the when the show was gonna air when I knew I knew the show was going to air after the semifinals, which again, didn't even think we were going to make it even that far. But I didn't know how it was going to be received. But it was half and half. And yeah, it would be interesting if I was a man saying that on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I would be curious to know how that would be received.

54:14I agree. Yeah. Can we talk about the cast a little bit? Because I agree. There was hatred happening. Again, you guys were the crux of it all. And you objectively got it the worst in terms of hate but were you talking about this with cast members in terms of what you were going through a lot of people were going through it I definitely feel like it was a really heightened for us specifically but it was like nice to have that camaraderie or like relate with other people or it's like bro you can just say you didn't like the dance like You don't need to go even farther than that. A lot of people felt it this season.

54:53Yeah, I think the pros, we all kind of chatted about it too. Because again, a lot of us have been on the show a long time. And this is new waters to navigate. And we've all known each other a long time. We work well together. We dance together. We're friends. So yeah, there was definitely some conversations about how to navigate. Mark, people online were speculating that you won't come back after everything you two went through this season. They're like, you guys ruined it. We're never going to get back. Where do you currently stand? I mean, again, like I love the show. I love creating on the show.

55:23Even after my season with Charlie, like they had me come in and guest judge one day and then I got to dance with Derek the season before I was in between, like still working through that injury stuff because there's a difference between doing like a spotlight performance and then doing a full season. Like you have to be right for that because injuries will creep up on you. Like, but I wouldn't say that I'm like, you know, of course, this one's just finished. So like, I need to sleep for a little bit. He's like, give me a breather. Right. You're like, I've learned not to say it right when it ends.

55:52But I'll have a chat with Rob. So, TBD. He's like, you're coming back. Okay. Whitney. Yeah. Is there anything you would like to say to, as we kind of wrap up this part of the conversation, to people who actively really really essentially gained a hatred for you throughout this process and when you guys got eliminated quote said the war is over she's gone like do you have anything that you would want to say to those people um i don't know because what i'd want to say is fuck yeah yeah yeah um but even just that i think that i don't know one person because i get it you're like i don't want to put i don't know one person who wouldn't say that fuck you my mental health you're reading this message you're with your children you're trying to have a fun time i think again i'm just sitting here i have a show and i love to sit with people but now i've been doing this for too long that I have sat with people after people after people on reality television who look me in the eyes and are depleted are exhausted and are like I want to give entertainment I'm down for the jokes I'm down for the banter I'm down for some like hard comments that I'm like oh shit like my outfit didn't look as good or my whatever what my dance wasn't good but I I am starting to begin to believe that it's like we have to turn the conversation to the people watching where it's like, at what point are we all the problem?

57:22And we are creating this thing online that is like, it's not fun anymore, guys, where I'm sitting with two human beings right now. And I'm going to I hope I don't continue. But I already know it's going to happen with Love Island. I'll be next summer, you'll see me tuning in and some woman is going to sit across from me and say, my mental health is so fucking broken, because the internet has taken a reality show, which is so entertaining we love reality shows but they have taken it and they've created something out of it that i am that it's like you murdered someone's family and it's become it's become too real it's become too big yeah and so to sit in these moments and just be like hey yes fuck you it's not that deep just the domino effect of even the hate online then maybe strive to be the person to be the domino effect to not be the hate online.

58:14Maybe try to say a little bit more positive things. Maybe try to not have the intention to tear someone down and create that domino effect because it's so crazy. Even with week five, when that hate happened, it just took that one video or it took that two comments and then it creates a domino effect. Well, OK, well, then let's create the other domino effect. Yeah, I hope that's what comes from this conversation. And I think meeting you guys and hanging out with you, it's like you're not trying to be victims. And I want to make that very clear. We're not all sitting here being like this is but it is needs to be a conversation.

58:54This is getting absolutely out of hand. That was part of the experience. That's that simple. Like, you know, totally. That was part of the experience. I hope again, I don't think this one conversation will change it. But again, maybe it will make people think maybe let's try to be a little bit different and have a little bit of a different effect. And maybe as fun as it is to post the comment and then you go off with your family, it's sitting with the actual people that you're writing about and just be more thoughtful about that. To turn things a little bit more positive because you're both so talented.

59:26OK, so we have TBD on if we're going to get you back on Dancing with the Stars. We'll let you like ice your body and like do some like saunas and like relax. Whitney. Yeah. Whitney. Yeah, girl. There's a lot of speculation online right now. There is. There's people zooming in on you. Why is she in New York? What is the paper she's holding? Yeah. What's going on, girl? What can you tease for us? What can I tease? People want you on Broadway. Yes. People want you everywhere. Yeah. Okay, there's two things I'll tease. Okay. One, I did just book my first movie, which is really exciting. Holy shit.

1:00:11I know. Oh, my God. And then two, I'm going to be announcing it on Monday. But what I can say is a dance that Mark and I performed on Dancing with the Stars. A dance that we performed, too, on Dancing with the Stars. is going to come to life. And everyone's going to know on Monday. You realize right now the internet is going to be like, she got it. She did it. We'll wait for you to announce when you're ready to announce. Okay. The fans are distraught. The fans are distraught because they wanted a freestyle dance. They're like, how are we not gonna see a mark and whitney freestyle dance this doesn't make sense they're like even if they didn't win we needed at least just give us that at least let us see the dance and so i don't know if anyone's noticed but we are currently sitting in the middle of a dance floor.

1:01:17And I was wondering if Whitney and Mark, you would do us the absolute honor of performing your freestyle last dance. It would be a pleasure.

1:01:49Today's episode was sponsored by Yves Saint Laurent's iconic Liebe Eau de Parfum. This daring yet distinctly warm floral and feminine fragrance is for those who do what they want and dare to be exactly who they are. Shop now at Sephora.