‘Dancing With the Stars’: Witney Carson Reflects on Partnership with Danny Amendola and Their Viral Dance (Exclusive)

The Dancing With the Stars Season 33 finale airs tonight, and pro Witney Carson spoke to PopCulture.com about what it’s been like partnering with Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola. The two are still in the running to win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after the semi-finals ended with the twist that all five couples would be advancing to the finals.

Ahead of last week’s semis, Carson told PopCulture.com it “feels amazing” having already made it so far. “I really didn’t know. I don’t know if we ever know when you first get your celebrity partner how far you’ll make it,” Carson shared. “But honestly, I’m not surprised with Danny’s work ethic. He’s worked so hard, and he’s so dedicated to getting better. But it’s really just been fun to go to rehearsals every day and him learn the craft, and he’s just so into it. I’m just really, really proud of him overall, like, more than just making it as far as we have, but just, like, every week, the commitment has just been really amazing to watch and be a part of.”

When it comes to Amendola’s improvement, Carson says it’s “honestly been amazing” seeing him get better week after week. “I feel like it’s a very special partnership when you can work from kind of Ground Zero and be competing with some of the best dancers that have been on the show, and you’re getting kind of the same scores as them,” she explained. “It’s just a real testament to how hard we really work, and he’s honestly so much fun. He’s just so coachable and just a sponge. Just taking everything, and he truly wants to get better.I feel like he’s been really amazing.”

Witney Carson and Danny Amendola have become quite the fan-favorites throughout the season, whether it’s because of their infectious bond or the incredible choreography for each dance. Their dance for Dedication Night proved to be wonders when it went viral on TikTok and fans were recreating the leg pull.

Carson admitted she was “really shocked because I don’t think that we really knew until people started telling us that it was going viral because we’re not really on TikTok until the fact that people were telling us, ‘Did you guys know that your dance is going viral?’ We actually had no idea until, like, weeks later. And then people started telling us about it, and we were like, ‘Oh, that’s amazing.’ It’s just really cool to, you know, work so hard on something and then feel that feedback from the audience because that’s why we do it.”

“We obviously love it, but it’s, you know, it’s for the fans,” Carson continued. “It’s for people to enjoy and watch and come together. And so now that social media is around, you can really see the effects of what you do directly. And it’s just encouraging to keep going and to keep doing our absolute best. So we’re really appreciative, but the amount of support has been crazy overwhelming. It’s been amazing.”

With only two more chances tonight to convince fans that they deserve the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, it’s hard to tell what will happen for Carson and Amendola. But whatever happens, it sounds like this will be one special partnership that won’t be going away so easily, even once the season ends. Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+ for the three-hour Season 33 finale of Dancing With the Stars and to see who comes out on top.