Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa called in a favor to Normani for the Dancing With the Stars season 34 finale.
“Oh, my gosh, my girlie pop. … Me and Normani actually have known each other since 2020, but we became friends this year,” Chiles, 24, told Entertainment Tonight after closing out the Tuesday, November 25, finale with their showstopping freestyle. “For some reason, when I first met her, I was like, ‘Bruh, why do I feel like I’ve known you for years?’”
Chiles said she was toying with the idea of Normani, 29, making a cameo “three weeks” before the semifinals, but Sosa, 24, argued the conversation happened much earlier.
“We were talking about this since the beginning of the season,” he revealed.
Chiles pointed out that Normani has a history with DWTS already — she finished in third place with pro Val Chmerkovskiy on season 24 in 2017 — so it was a no-brainer to bring her back.
“It was a hypothetical, until we were getting closer and closer and closer,” Sosa added. “And Jordan was like, ‘I think she wants to do it.’”
According to Chiles, Normani was one step ahead of them. “She came to me and was like, ‘You know what? I should be in your freestyle,’” the Olympian recalled, referencing Normani’s appearance in the audience during week 3 of the competition to support fellow Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui.
Chiles and Sosa pulled out all the stops for their freestyle, which was set to a mashup of Beyoncé‘s “Bow Down (Homecoming Live)” and Normani’s “Motivation.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba declared it was the best freestyle routine she’s seen in all 20 years of DWTS.
By the end of the night, Chiles and Sosa secured third place behind runner-up Alix Earle and winner Robert Irwin.
“I am SOOOOOO PROUD of you 🤍,” Normani gushed via her Instagram Story after the finale on Tuesday. “Thank you for sharing your stage with me tonight, LOVE YOU BBY SISTER @jordanchiles @ezra.sosa.”
Chiles reflected on her DWTS journey before hitting the ballroom for the last time, sharing an emotional tribute to Sosa via Instagram.
“Wow! Ummm idk what to truly say about this whole experience… but one thing I can say is that god gave me the best partner ever and I am going to miss this whole experience with you!” she wrote on Tuesday. “Ezra you have turned me into a ballroom dancer and also helped me tell my story! I don’t want this to end but HAPPY FINALE DAY!!! You have inspired me in so many ways and I hope I did the same for you! To many more memories to make and more food to order! I love you DIVAAAAAA @ezra.sosa.”
One week earlier, Chiles earned the first perfect score of her career on Prince Night, telling Us Weekly she was “happy” the achievement came from DWTS instead of gymnastics.
“I know it’s crazy to say,” she teased on November 18. “I feel like now I have more of an opportunity to feel more confident in going into my season [at UCLA], being like, ‘OK, if I was able to do it in heels on a ballroom floor in an uncomfortable position, I can do it on a mat.’”
Dancing With the Stars is available to stream on Hulu.
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