Heavy/ABC Rylee Arnold and Harry Jowsey faced backlash on DWTS.
Season 32 “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Harry Rowsey and his partner, first-time pro Rylee Arnold, had a tough week after their “Most Memorable Year” performance. The day after the show, Jowsey took to social media to defend his partner and open up about how difficult the aftermath of episode 5 was.
During the October 24 episode of “Dancing with the Stars,” Arnold and Jowsey did a contemporary dance to the Andy Grammer song “Keep Your Head Up.” Fellow DWTS contestants Charity Lawson and Xochitl Gomez got their first “10” scores of the season, but Jowsey’s performance did not receive that level of praise.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told the pair the performance was a step back from their dance the prior week. Both Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli criticized Jowsey’s musicality, and all three judges gave the pair a score of 6.
Arnold and Jowsey’s total score of 18 out of 30 put them at the bottom of the leaderboard, and they were in danger of elimination. However, ultimately, Mira Sorvino and Gleb Savchenko went home instead.
After the performance, a lot of “Dancing with the Stars” fans voiced their opinions about Jowsey and Arnold online. Arnold received much of the criticism, with people suggesting Jowsey hasn’t been improving and Arnold’s choreography isn’t appropriately tailored to his weaknesses.
Jowsey wasn’t happy to see what people had been saying and took to Snapchat to share his thoughts.
Here’s what you need to know:
Harry Jowsey & Rylee Arnold Received a Lot of Critical Direct Messages
On October 25, the day after Jowsey and Arnold’s rough “Most Memorable Year” performance, he posted a string of videos on his Snapchat page addressing the fan reactions.
He quoted a comment he had received from a supporter and explained he chose that one because “It was one of the only nice ones left after last night.” The comment read, “Focus focus focus! We want 8s this week!”
Jowsey explained, “Today has been extremely difficult. Poor Rylee’s really upset. I’m really upset. We’re both equally devastated and upset about last night. Cause it wasn’t our night, it wasn’t our best night.”
The season 32 “Dancing with the Stars” contestant continued, “Obviously the comments of everyone online kinda reflects that as well.” He urged people to simply not say anything if they can’t say anything nice. Jowsey also indicated the pair had received a lot of unkind direct messages across social media.
“It’s Rylee’s first season. I’ve never danced before. We’re learning. We’re figuring it out,” Jowsey said of his journey with Arnold so far.
He added, “That’s the point of the show! To have someone who’s never danced before, put them on the world stage, tell them to try and figure it out!” Jowsey also thanked “Dancing with the Stars” fans who have supported them and voted to keep them in the competition.
Jowsey Gushed Over Arnold
As difficult as the criticism was to navigate, Jowsey noted, “I love spending time with Rylee. She’s an incredible person. She’s an incredible woman, and it’s been such a joy to be with her.” Ultimately, the “Dancing with the Stars” contestant admitted, “Today was really difficult for both of us.”
Arnold and Jowsey have been a somewhat controversial pair this season. They have a lot of fans, but they also have a lot of “Dancing with the Stars” viewers who are critical of their dynamic and performances. After Jowsey’s Snapchat stories, it seemed even some of the pair’s critics supported what he had to say.
One show fan on Redditor, who admittedly “Doesn’t really care for Harry’s dancing,” commented, “I think it’s fowl to harass them directly in their [direct messages].”
“I can’t imagine what he’s going through. I bet it’s hard to constantly read so many negative comments just to find one good one. It can do a lot to someone mentally,” shared another Redditor.
“I don’t personally love watching Harry and Rylee dance, poor guy definitely has two left feet, but what I do love to see is the support he shows for the other couples,” someone else wrote. They added, “I don’t think anyone should tear someone apart because they happen to have a following that takes them far.”
“The ONLY thing that I hope comes from those comments is that Rylee sees that she needs to teach Harry actual moves and not just lifts. Other than that, it’s gone way too far,” read another response on Reddit.