Heavy/ABC Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd did a jazz number for DWTS Disney Night.
Peta Murgatroyd defended her partner, “The Brady Bunch” star Barry Williams, after they danced a jazz routine to “He’s a Tramp” from the Disney movie “Lady and the Tramp” during week 4 of “Dancing with the Stars” season 32.
Williams and Murgatroyd were one of three couples in danger of elimination at the end of Disney Night. Ultimately, they were declared safe. Instead, Adrian Peterson and Britt Stewart were cut.
There was a fair amount of frustration and criticism among DWTS fans after the problematic performance, which featured a failed lift and other mistakes. Murgatroyd herself spoke out in support of her partner after the evening wrapped, though.
Here’s what you need to know:
Peta Murgatroyd Gushed Over Barry Williams
After Williams and Murgatroyd performed, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said it was their best dance of the season. She called out some mistakes and pointed out the lift that didn’t go well but said Williams is always a joy.
Derek Hough called Williams “Barry Sinatra” and commended him for carrying on despite mistakes. Bruno Tonioli pointed out that Murgatroyd almost fell on the floor as the trick they attempted fell apart. Their total score was 18 out of 30, putting them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Once Murgatroyd had returned home, she took to her Instagram Stories to share some tidbits with “Dancing with the Stars” fans. She thanked the fans who voted to keep her and Williams in the competition and said she appreciated them.
“This was a tough, rough night and, you know, I didn’t know what was going to happen and you guys just banded together for the love of Barry because he is amazing,” Murgatroyd said. “We all love him dearly, especially me.”
The “Dancing with the Stars” pro told fans she wished everybody could see Williams’ rehearsals because they are “amazing” and “incredible.” Unfortunately, Murgatroyd acknowledged, “Tonight, a lot went wrong.”
The dancer praised her partner for pushing through despite the mistakes, noting he’s a showman. “He finishes on a high note,” Murgatroyd said.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Fans Shared Strong Opinions
Some fans thought Murgatroyd was annoyed or upset with Williams after the performance as they received the judges’ critiques and scores. In the “Dancing with the Stars” subreddit, people did not mince words.
“She looked so mad afterwards during the judges commentary & in the skybox. Like girl, it’s ok. He’s old,” one Redditor wrote.
“It’s getting annoying because you can tell Barry has it in him to shine. He just needs choreography that suits him. Peta needs to learn to put her ego to the side sometimes,” another wrote.
“Barry should not be given lifts period. Someone his age never should. Peta is off her game,” detailed a Redditor in another thread.
“Shame on her for even attempting a life. At his age, and given how he almost dropped her after their other dance, they should not be doing any lifting, holding her up,” insisted a different commenter.
Murgatroyd & Williams Are Excited for Their Paso Doble
In her Instagram Stories, Murgatroyd clarified what viewers perceived as her frustration with Williams.
“Yes, you guys are going to see me feel a little and look a little disappointed, because I had seen him nail it time after time after time, every time,” she said.
Murgatroyd added that she just always wants to see Williams have the best show ever but pointed out it’s live television and “sometimes it just doesn’t work out like that.”
The dancer insisted they are going to “come back stronger next week.” The couple will be doing a paso doble for week 5, and she said they’re very excited about it.
“Trust me, guys, no one loves Barry more than I do, okay?” she said.
One thing many DWTS fans may have missed was that Murgatroyd’s right shoe was coming off before she tried the lift with Williams. She did not mention the issue with her shoe in her Instagram posts, but it seemed it was one of several factors that caused the issues with their jazz performance.