Brandon Armstrong and Chandler Kinney weren’t expecting guest judge Gene Simmons‘ strong reaction to their Dancing With the Stars performance.
“I’m getting blasted for that already,” Armstrong, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 8, after he and Kinney, 24, performed a jive to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister on Hair Metal Night.
The pair ultimately earned a score of 33 out of 40, but while critiquing their dance, Simmons, 75, raised eyebrows with a comment about Kinney. The rocker said the routine “fogged up” his glasses, but Kinney wasn’t fazed.
“Brandon has more feelings than I [do],” she told Us after the show, noting that her only response was “LOL.”
Armstrong explained his perspective, adding, “I said, ‘Hold up now.’ I have two little sisters. I heard it. I said, ‘Wait, wait, wait.’”
Armstrong and Kinney have stayed on top week after week since season 33 of DWTS premiered last month. After Tuesday’s performance, Kinney opened up about the pressure that comes with consistently receiving high scores from the judges.
“I just try to disassociate and pretend it’s my own little world. I think, honestly, at some point that’s the healthiest thing that you can do,” she told Us. “Just focus on you and your partner and block out the rest. That’s kind of what I’ve been trying to do every week. … That’s been my strategy.”
She praised her professional partner for being “a great anchor,” calling him “the calm in the storm” throughout each week.
As for Armstrong, he’s thrilled to see the overwhelmingly positive response — and high ratings — for this season of DWTS.
“It’s incredible because I think it shows the health of the show. For a long time, people weren’t watching the same amount of television,” he said to Us. “They weren’t streaming. I feel like it shows that Dancing With the Stars kept up with the times.”
He continued: “I also think it shows the work that comes from bringing in younger stars and younger celebrities that appeal to a different audience. So I’m really happy. I hope a lot of those [votes] went to us. I really do.”
While reflecting on this week’s back-to-back episodes — Soul Train Night took place on Monday, October 7, leading to a double elimination on Tuesday — Kinney expressed her gratitude for the lessons she learned so far.
“It pushed me really far outside of my comfort zone. I do need to tap into something — some kind of alter ego,” she shared. “You do really have to push and put your foot down and know who you are and stick to it. So it’s just a really intense competition. I think I’m going to be carrying a bit of that grit with me more than anything.”
Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the next day.
With reporting by Mariel Turner
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