Dancing with the Stars has left summertime and is now showing in a more competitive market to see if it would hold up against bigger shows. ABC was ready to take a bigger risk after being the number one summer show of 2005. It was the same summer as Desperate Housewives, Extreme Home Makeover and So You Think You Can Dance launched.
Again, I didn’t know who my partner was going to be. I had heard rumors it was an actress from Melrose Place, but I thought maybe Heather Locklear. When I opened the door of her house, I saw I was wrong, it was Lisa Rinna. In that very first sit-down meeting, something clicked between us. It felt like we had known each other for a long time already. Also, it was a pleasure to meet Harry Hamlin. What a down-to-earth family.
One thing that was never shown on TV was the whole story about my ponytail. I hated how my ponytail looked on camera, which made me want to cut it off. Lisa had told the producers she absolutely could not have the guy with the ponytail. Be careful what you wish for Lisa!!! lol……when she opened the door to meet me, the first thing she said was not “Hi, nice meeting you.” No No No, it was “Hi you have to cut your hair off.” That’s what I love about Lisa. She says what she feels. The haircut was all filmed and supposed to be used for our first video package, but it never was used. It was a fun story and we laughed about our first meeting many times after.
Lisa told me she had done every aerobics and fitness program known to man, but never had experienced dance before. Let alone ballroom dancing. When we started rehearsing it became clear Lisa was quite the klutz, self-proclaimed! I think it was just the nerves. Descending those stairs knowing that millions of people are home watching makes even the most consummate of professional performers nervous. Even though Lisa was extremely nervous, and I was happy with her first performance, the judges seemed to hate our Slow Waltz. Also, the second dance Rumba was not appreciated by the judges. Week three was Jive and somehow that week we made a breakthrough. Lisa gave in to her frustration, let out a few tears, and her confidence started showing. I even remember that pink dress became shorter and shorter. That dance in week three was truly a breakthrough dance for Lisa. She threw out all inhibitions and was just having a great time. Also, the judges gave Lisa props for her change. With this change, we both felt “let the games begin”.
That week I learned a big lesson. When you’re having fun, it’s a lot less stressful and you can express a lot more. In Lisa’s case, I needed to keep the choreography quite simple because, with Lisa’s personality, it wasn’t necessary to make things difficult.
The following weeks we were becoming closer as friends, and we were bonding like we had known each other forever. It was so great to see Lisa change from being nervous and insecure to just becoming herself without fear of anything. Also, her dancing was improving more and more, and I think Lisa became very inspirational to many who realized she represented a lot of women with the same fears of being and also feeling inferior. Not having been in Hollywood for a very long time I always thought all celebrities were super confident and didn’t have insecurities, I realized with Lisa that celebrities are also regular people with all the same insecurities we have. And in some cases, it is worse for celebrities who have to suffer their failings and insecurities in public and splashed across the pages of grocery store tabloids. It was so good to see Lisa live it out and blossom on national TV and I truly believe America got to see the real side of Lisa Rinna. I was very proud of Lisa, and I never expected day one that we would make it to the top four. When we got voted off in the semi-final while having our last interview with Tom and Samantha, we both got very emotional. Every word that we both said on the spot was true. We had become friends for life in a matter of three months. On top Lisa said she had found a soul mate. Season two was a very memorable season for me and I’ll love Lisa forever.
Since our season we have spent holidays together, both Harry and Lisa took me to many events and introduced me to many people and we even started what’s now called LaBlast together.