Fans may not see a beloved Dancing With The Stars pro in the ballroom next season!
According to a shocking report from The US Sun on Tuesday, Rylee Arnold is at risk of getting the boot and being replaced by a troupe member! Why? Apparently there have been complaints about her choreography and teaching methods throughout Season 34! Whoa!
As viewers know, the ballroom dancer joined the show as a pro at only 18 years old, skipping the traditional troupe process. Newcomers join the troupe for a season or two to get used to the show and learn the ropes from the other dancers. They’re not always guaranteed a spot as a pro, but it is how most of the cast members typically gain their promotions. However, Rylee bypassed the whole thing and became a pro right away.
Related: Jan Ravnik & Jen Affleck React To Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s DWTS Criticism…
There’s no doubt she, along with Ezra Sosa, breathed new life into the show. Some fans aren’t too happy with Rylee lately, though! There have been a lot of complaints that she needed time in the troupe to perfect her skills — and theories she only got cast because of her sister, Lindsay Arnold, a former pro. And per this report, producers are starting to agree with the audience! Yikes!
Rylee is now in danger of being replaced next season by a troupe member — and not just any troupe member: Hailey Bills! You know, the one who sparked romance rumors with current contestant Robert Irwin!? This is Hailey’s first year on the show, and she’s quickly gaining in popularity. She’s earned nearly 200,000 Instagram followers since the start of the season. She’s also reportedly impressed producers and other dancers so much behind the scenes that she pretty much secured a full-time position next year! Not to mention impressing a hunky Aussie zookeeper! Wow! A show source claimed:
“Hailey is all but confirmed to be a pro next year. Producers have already told her in more or less words that she is a lock in to be full time as a pro moving forward. They felt she has paid her dues. She was on DWTS Juniors, she has been a troupe member, and she knows the pros well. She attends so many rehearsals and absorbs all the pros’ teaching like a sponge. She’s been the most impressive new addition since the show hired Daniella [Karagach]. The pros all love her and think the world of her. She’s particularly impressed Derek a lot, and he’s a huge advocate for.”
Hmm. It’s important to note that Hailey also has family connections on the show, just like Rylee. She’s the niece of pro dancers Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy. One could argue she’s only up for the promotion because of who she’s related to. Just saying. However, she did at least do troupe for a year and didn’t skip entirely…
The insider mentioned that it’s too early to confirm who Hailey would replace since producers don’t finalize the lineup until right before the new season starts. However, they feel “it’s more likely that Hailey would take the place of someone newer rather than a pro.” And that would probably be Rylee since she didn’t “step it up” like producers wanted her to:
“So there is a chance she would take Rylee’s place. People behind the scenes felt like Rylee needed to step it up this year, and she didn’t. So replacing Rylee would be the most likely scenario, but nothing is confirmed yet.”
Oof!
Who knows! A lot of pros are unhappy with how everything has gone this whole messy season, including Jenna and Val. Jenna even threatened to quit, along with Brandon Armstrong, so Hailey could replace one of them instead maybe?? We’ll see! For now, producers are reportedly keeping a close eye on everyone on the show to determine who will be invited back next season. A production source noted there are “a couple” who executives feel “aren’t quite keeping up with the rest of the ensemble.” This includes Rylee and Jan Ravnik. They said:
“There are talks that Rylee [Arnold] and Jan [Ravnik] would be most on the chopping block for next season if they don’t start stepping it up.”
When it comes to Rylee, the team feels she needs to become a better teacher. The sources explained:
“With Rylee, there has been an emphasis that she needs to be a better teacher and make her partners learn the technique. Her and her partners, while beloved, have not improved drastically and make mistakes even deeper into the season.”
We mean, it’s not always easy to get a celebrity to improve on the dance floor. Just ask Jenna when it comes to Corey Feldman! Any other pro would say the same thing! Dancing doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and not everyone is willing to work hard at it.
Meanwhile, Jan has faced a lot of criticism, including from former pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, for having no ballroom technique. The source added:
“While Jan has been called out for lacking proper technique himself and not having clean lines when he should be the teacher and the master of technique. He has also been told he can step it up with his choreography and challenge his partner more.”
Ultimately, producers are watching Rylee and Jan the rest of the season before making any final decisions about their future on DWTS:
“It doesn’t mean they won’t be back next season. But they’re the two producers are keeping the closest eye on.”
If producers cut Jan, they’re going to upset a lot viewers… and Swifties!
What are your reactions, Perezcious readers? Do you think Hailey should take Rylee’s place? Sound OFF in the comments below!
[Image via Hailey Bills/Robert Irwin/Instagram, DWTS/BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions]
The post <i>DWTS</i> Cast Shakeup! Beloved Pro May Be Replaced By Troupe Member -- The One Rumored To Be Dating A Contestant! appeared first on Perez Hilton.