When news broke earlier this month that Ezra Sosa had been promoted to a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars, many viewers were happy.
The talented dancer had spent time as part of the long-running ABC hit’s troupe, and he was finally getting the chance to join forces with a celebrity and compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
However, things took quite a turn when he was paired up with convicted fraudster Anna Delvey.
Viewers have been vocal about not wanting Anna to be associated with the show, and they got their wish on Tuesday evening when she got eliminated due to a lack of viewer votes.
Anna had been criticized for not smiling during performances and for her dry responses to questions about her time on the show.
In a painfully awkward segment, Julianne Hough asked what she’d take away from her time on DWTS.
“Nothing,” said Anna in response, which is pretty on-brand with what she’s given the show since joining.
Now that Ezra is free of her, viewers are calling out producers because they believe he should never have been paired up with her in the first place.
“I’m so sad for Ezra! Voted just to see him get further! I hope he’s back next season,” one critic wrote.
Ezra needs a great celebrity partner next season
Looking at the response on social media, we see that Ezra has many fans.
Another critic wrote, “ABC, hope you feel justified in bringing her to dance and trying to make her likable. “
The fan also took issue with Anna’s final response to being eliminated.
“She’s spoilt and thinks she’s entitled. Bye, girl,” the fan concluded.
Another fan called out Anna’s “crappy attitude.”
With viewers going out of their way to vote from home, you need to connect with the audience.
Anna alienated the audience with ease
Unfortunately, Anna didn’t think that through and elected to alienate the audience.
“Yall really robbed Ezra for his first season,” a viewer complained.
“Justice for Ezra. He needs the best partner next season,” another critic said.
“It’s kinda hard to root for someone who seems so uninterested to be there.”
It seems viewers made their minds up pretty quickly about Anna, and it’s hardly surprising.
Anna was disadvantaged due to the intense media scrutiny surrounding her participation in the show.
DWTS typically features one or two controversial names to drum up interest each season, but Anna’s casting has been a misfire.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC. You can stream full episodes on Disney+ and Hulu.