'Dancing With the Stars': Fans Stunned After Sean Spicer Beats Lamar Odom's Score

Dancing With The Stars fans knew exactly how Lamar Odom felt when Sean Spicer's first score was [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Dancing With The Stars fans knew exactly how Lamar Odom felt when Sean Spicer's first score was announced by the judges during the Season 28 premiere. Spicer, whose presence on the show proved controversial before the season began, earned a 12/30 for his salsa to The Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life" with Lindsay Arnold. That was one point more than Odom's foxtrot to Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" with Peta Murgatroyd.

The former White House Press Secretary for President Donald Trump wore a neon green shirt that blinded the audience at home during his dance with Arnold. The performance was clunky, and earned plenty of criticism from the judges.

"There was some elements of salsa there... not always on time or on rhythm," judge Bruno Tonioli said. He told Spicer his hips looked like they were "set in cement" and he had to "get them going a bit more... but I have to say, it was strangely entertaining."

When it came to announcing the judges' scores, Tonioli, Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba each gave Spicer a 4. Earlier in the show, they gave each gave Odom 3's. Odom's 11/30 score was one of the lowest in the show's history, one point below Spicer.

After Spicer's scores were announced, Odom's shocked facial expression was obvious and fans at home had to agree.

ABC's decision to include Spicer was surprising to many, as DWTS has tried to be apolitical. Co-host Tom Bergeron even revealed he advised producers against including him on the show. Bergeron said he met with the new executive producer before casting started, and he left the meeting thinking Season 28 would be "a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations."

However, Bergeron later learned "a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, 'go in a different direction.'"

"It is the prerogative of the producers, in partnership with the network, to make whatever decisions they feel are in the best long term interests of the franchise," Bergeron continued. "We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it's their call. I'll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions."

Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Spicer will get to dance again, as no dancers were eliminated during the premiere.

Photo credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

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