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One “Dancing With the Stars” alum says that hosting the ABC dancing competition series would be a dream job. In an interview with Heavy, season 25 contestant Victoria Arlen told us she would love to host “Dancing With the Stars” — and we think she would be a great fit.
Arlen Says Hosting ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Would Be a ‘Dream Come True’
It’s no secret that “Dancing With the Stars” fans do not like the new host, supermodel Tyra Banks. And the show has a history of hiring its former dancers as hosts — both Brooke Burke and Erin Andrews competed on the show before they were hired to host it.
Plus, Arlen already has a plethora of hosting experience from her time working as a reporter at ESPN and now hosting “American Ninja Warrior Junior” for Peacock. So, we had to ask — would she ever want to host “Dancing With the Stars”?
“Yes, absolutely,” said Arlen. “That would be such a dream come true.”
Arlen Said Her ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Partner Is ‘Like Family’
On season 25, Arlen shared her incredible story about contracting two “incredibly rare neurological conditions that shut [her] body down,” she told Heavy. She went on to win a gold medal at the 2012 Paralympics after spending four years in a coma and then later having to re-learn how to walk. So the fact that she was able to compete on a ballroom dancing show is nothing short of a miracle, though Arlen did say that being seen as an “inspiration” brought with it a lot of pressure at times.
“Becoming an ‘inspiration’ was definitely not something I had ever planned on being. I quickly learned it came with a lot of pressure and responsibility,” said Arlen. “At first it was overwhelming coming back into a world I didn’t recognize and being given this new title of being an inspiration. I didn’t want to ever let anyone down, so I put a lot of pressure on myself, which honestly affected my mental health at times. I had to figure out how to best navigate while still prioritizing my own health.”
Arlen also told us that “Dancing With the Stars” was like a family for her and she absolutely still keeps in touch with her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy.
“‘Dancing With the Stars’ is such a family, so I always love being able to watch and cheer on my friends,” said Arlen when asked about watching the show. She added, “Val and I have kept in touch. Unfortunately, due to being on different sides of the country and crazy schedules, we don’t see each other a ton, but Val is like family to me.”
When asked if she would return to the show to compete, Arlen said she absolutely would if the show wanted her back because she “had such a fun time” the first time around.
Finally, she had some advice for the new batch of celebrities competing on the show this year: “Enjoy every single moment and don’t be too hard on yourself. It is a journey, but my advice is to embrace it and have a ton of fun!”
“Dancing With the Stars” season 30 airs Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on ABC. “American Ninja Warrior Junior” drops new episodes every Thursday on Peacock TV.