Ciara Miller Opens Up About Her Reaction to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judges’ Feedback on Premiere

The highly anticipated two-night premiere of Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars has dominated headlines this week as viewers choose their favorite dancing duos and react to the surprise double-elimination.

After splitting the premiere across Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, fans said goodbye to Secret Lives of Mormon Lives star Conner Leavitt and his pro partner, Adele Zaikman, as well as model Sarah Jane Nader and her pro partner, Hailey Bills. Still, the eliminations weren’t the only thing on fans’ minds, as several standout stars were already making their case for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy with their breathtaking debut routines.

Among these were reality TV star Ciara Miller and her pro partner, Brandon Armstrong, whose emotional foxtrot—choreographed to “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston—left judge Carrie Ann Inaba in tears. Overall, the panel agreed that the performance was strong and showed potential, but felt there was room for improvement.

As the dancing duo received feedback from the judges, who ultimately gave them a total score of 15 out of 30, fans online noticed that Miller—best known for her time on the hit Bravo series Summer House—appeared somewhat restrained. However, the star has since responded to these comments, explaining her reaction to Entertainment Weekly.

Per the outlet, Miller stated she was “really quiet” following the routine because she was still taking in “everything,” adding that she felt a “sense of relief.” Entertainment Weekly also noted that the star took to Threads to clarify her reaction further, writing, “Guys, just know I was petrified all night. Please don’t read into my facial expressions. I was also trying not to have a meltdown pre-show.”

Longtime fans of Miller also rallied around her and Armstrong in the comments on DWTS’ official Instagram account, with one top comment reading, “Watching her for years on Summer House, you know that that’s [the] face she makes when she’s terrified to be vulnerable. It’s not an unhappy face at all. They absolutely crushed it for their first dance.”

The next episode of DWTS airs on ABC Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET. There, Miller and the remaining stars will return to the ballroom to tackle “Viral Hits Night.” In the meantime, catch up on what you missed during the premiere with our full recaps of Night 1 and Night 2 here and here!

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