The inaugural Dancing With the Stars Con is underway, taking place in Palm Springs throughout the weekend.
In addition to live dance performances and meet-and-greet events with the show’s pro dancers and celebrity contestants, a variety of panels have been taking place.
Celebrity Freakouts
One panel was titled “Behind the Mirrorball,” with pro dancer Kym Herjavec engaging in a discussion about what takes place behind the scenes of “DWTS” with exec producers Deena Katz, Conrad Green, Ray Chew and Phil Heyes, along with judge Bruno Tonioli.
As Katz revealed, celebrity freakouts are far from uncommon, and she’s found herself having to deal with them pretty much constantly.
“I have them every week with different [celebrities],” Katz said.
“There are some that have had to be outside on the back porch convincing some to come inside,” she continued.
“Every single week there’s somebody that has an issue, or is scared,” Katz added. “Some had to have a glass of wine, and they come to me.”
Billy Ray Cyrus Vanished
At that point in the discussion, Herjavec shared a memory from way back in 2007, when country singer Billy Ray Cyrus caused a panic backstage.
“Billy Ray Cyrus went missing, I think, before a live show,” she recalled.
“There were a few we weren’t sure were going to turn up before a live show,” noted Green. “So we’d always have to have contingency plans.
Cloris Leachman Was a Handful
Another star who proved to be a handful behind the scenes was Cloris Leachman.
The beloved actress was 82 years old when she competed on “DWTS” back in 2008, and Katz admitted she kept producers on their toes.
“God, Cloris Leachman we could never find,” said Katz of the contestant whose zany antics made her a fan favorite during her run on the show.
“Cloris, yeah, she was a lot,” Katz recalled.
Billy Ray’s On-Camera Meltdown
Meanwhile, longtime viewers of “DWTS” will recall Cyrus snapping at judge Bruno Tonioli when he delivered some sharp criticism about the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s less-than-stellar dancing.
“You are always deliciously awful,” Tonioli told Cyrus (via Today.com), eliciting a chorus of boos from the audience.
That, however, did not dissuade him, simply encouraging the judge to heap more criticism upon Cyrus.
“It was the foxtrot on the Temple of Doom,” he continued. “It was terrible. It was crap.”
Cyrus responded by commenting, “Bruno calling me crap is the pot calling the kettle black.”
A Good Run
Despite his sketchy dancing, Cyrus had a solid run on the show until he was eventually eliminated.
As he said so long, he admitted (via CBS News) that competing on “Dancing With the Stars” was “the scariest thing I could possibly think of to do.”
Cyrus seemed unsurprised by his elimination. “This is a celebration tonight,” he said during one part of his final show. “I got to meet my hero, Muhammad Ali, last night. I conquered my fear. I’m happy to be here and I’m ready to go on Jimmy Kimmel.”
