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    • Anna Delvey Eliminated from ‘DWTS’: Why It’s No Surprise
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    Anna Delvey Eliminated from ‘DWTS’: Why It’s No Surprise

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    Anna Delvey has been eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars” early. Her brief role was unexpected, however, as criticism of her casting has been overwhelming.

    Delvey was eliminated from the dance competition on Tuesday night after performing a quickstep with partner Ezra Sosa. When asked by host Julianne Hough what she took away from her time on the show, Delvey was curt: “Nothing.”

    Delvey, born Anna Sorokin, landed on season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars” after being accused of plotting a lavish lifestyle and personal business scheme, stealing $275,000 from hotels, banks and upscale New Yorkers. She was convicted of aggravated robbery in 2019 and served just over three years of a four-to-12-year sentence. Her story inspired the hit Netflix miniseries “Inventing Anna.”

    The “DWTS” effort to get Delvey onto the dance floor has made headlines from the start: Delvey had to get permission from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to compete, after the agency detained her for overstaying her visa in 2021; a now-infamous ankle monitor Delvey wore during the show; and her “lackluster” dancing debut.

    The casting controversy surrounding the former “fake German heiress” felt familiar and fresh at the same time. And while parts of the internet were angry, her personal reinvention may have helped revive interest in “DWTS.”

    The premiere’s ratings mark an increase from last season after the show returned to ABC this year. According to an ABC press release, the Sept. 17 season premiere was watched by nearly 5 million viewers, topping the broadcast in total viewers and adults 18-49, according to Nielsen. That’s a 4 percent increase from last September’s premiere, which drew 4.78 million viewers.

    Anna Delvey’s ‘DWTS’ Casting Sparks Backlash Inside and Outside the Ballroom

    The outrage surrounding Delvey was already apparent before her first dance.

    Former “DWTS” pro Cheryl Burke said on her podcast that Sosa’s pairing with “someone who’s a little bit complex” is “a big deal” for the pro, who is new to the show. Whoopi Goldberg noted on “The View” that “the families that have had family members arrested by ICE, that have gone to court to get their father, mother, brother back and this woman, they’ve given her permission to do it.”

    Anna Delvey reinvented: Does she deserve a chance on ‘Dancing with the Stars’?

    The negative reactions continued on social media, with users demanding that the series “stop glorifying her.”

    The excitement around Delvey continued on the dance floor during the season premiere. She and Sosa, the final couple to join, danced a cha-cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”

    Judge Derek Hough said he was “stunned” and “surprised” by Delvey’s potential. The ever-energetic panelist Bruno Tonioli shared pithy praise, saying she was “reinventing Anna and it could work.” But Carrie Ann Inaba noted the elephant in the room — a “shift in energy” during the duo’s dance — and asked fans to “give this a chance.”

    “I was very nervous going into my first dance, but I think I did well under the circumstances. The room went quiet. It was clear that I wasn’t a fan favorite yet. But I’m going to keep working at it. And I hope that I can convince people with my work effort and perseverance. I’m not giving up,” Delvey told USA TODAY in an emailed statement earlier this month.

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    “You know, I’m a fighter, I’m the underdog,” Delvey continued in her statement.

    Delvey didn’t get much of a chance to win people over. But right after her elimination, she was spotted backstage with a grin from ear to ear, according to People.

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