Not every “Dancing With the Stars” contestant adjusts to the ballroom well. In fact, some celebrities find the idea of dancing in front of a crowd rather frightening.
During the first-ever DWTS convention, Kym Johnson and Deena Katz addressed fans’ questions on a panel. They discussed celebrity freak-outs, and Kym admitted her own husband lost his cool while competing on season 20.
According to the Australian dancer, Robert Herjavec did just fine in rehearsals. But everything changed during the camera blocking day.
Kym Johnson Had to Convince Robert Herjavec to Keep Going
Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. But after meeting during rehearsals on “Dancing With the Stars,” Robert grew a bit panicky when he realized how stiff the competition actually was.
During the second day of the DWTS con, Kym joined Deena Katz to talk about the experience.
“Our job as the pros is to make them feel like they’re really good,” the Australian dancer explained. “We were rehearsing in another state and we never saw any of the other couples until camera blocking and that was the first time Robert saw the other couples. But I had made him think that he was so good, he thought he was going to win the Mirrorball.”
“And then he went on stage and saw Rumer Willis. He was like, ‘I can’t do this,’” Kym continued, explaining how she had to talk Robert Herjavec off the proverbial ledge and convince him to compete anyway.
Robert Herjavec didn’t win the Mirrorball trophy, but he performed fairly well. He and Kym Johnson finished in 6th place out of 12 couples. Rumer Willis and Val Chmerkovskiy went on to win the Mirrorball trophy that year.
The Couple Celebrated Kym’s 50th Birthday With a Sweet Surprise
Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson began dating shortly after DWTS season 20. They married on July 31, 2016, and welcomed their twins on April 23, 2018. Today, the family of four are incredibly close and happy.
Kym will celebrate her 50th birthday on August 4. But due to her busy schedule, the family celebrated the major milestone just before the convention. Robert Herjavec organized an elaborate celebration for his wife. And of course, their twins wanted to put their own special touches on the occasion.
“The best gift of all 🩷” Kym captioned the special Instagram post. “Thank you @robertherjavec and @darrenmapes for surprising me with this! I’m sure @robertherjavec had to bribe them with a trip to target but I will treasure this forever ! @darrenmapes you are so clever and cheeky to write this! #50snotsobadafterall Soon I’ll be 51 🤣”
In the first video, both Hudson and Haven serenade their mother with an adorable song about her birthday. In the second video, Hudson sings “I’d Do Anything” from “Oliver!” as his father proudly watches from the edge of the stage.
Fans can catch the new season of “Dancing With the Stars” at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15 on ABC. There will be a second episode the following night on Wednesday, September 16.
