Elizabeth Berkley is looking back at her time on Dancing With the Stars, claiming the competition once prioritized manufactured reality TV drama over the talent and personal journeys of its celebrity contestants. The Saved by the Bell actress believes the ABC series has since changed for the better, with a greater emphasis on the joy of dancing.
Berkley shared her thoughts in a comment on an Instagram video posted by fellow former contestant Jennie Garth on October 6. Garth had revealed that she was watching the competition again after nearly two decades away from the ballroom, and Berkley used the opportunity to reflect on how the show had evolved.
“The show has changed for the better since we did it,” Berkley wrote, explaining that producers previously sought reality television drama and sometimes created it when it did not exist. She praised the programme’s current focus on goodness, joy and the contestants’ journeys, while acknowledging the talent that had always been part of the competition.
Berkley competed on Season 17 in 2013 with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy. The pair reached the ninth week before being eliminated, finishing in sixth place. Their departure was particularly disappointing given their strong performance that evening.
On November 11, 2013, Berkley and Chmerkovskiy earned a perfect 30 for their trio salsa with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. Combined with their Viennese waltz score, they finished with 56 out of a possible 60 points, placing second on the judges’ leaderboard. However, the combination of judges’ scores and viewer votes sent them home before the semifinals.
Berkley later said she was disappointed to leave because she believed they had more dances left to perform, while also acknowledging that she did not feel entitled to remain in the competition.
Garth’s experience with the show followed a similar trajectory. The Beverly Hills, 90210 actress competed in Season 5 in 2007 with Derek Hough, finishing fourth after being eliminated in the ninth week. She had largely avoided watching the series since then, explaining that the experience had affected her more deeply than she had expected.
Her daughter, Lola, recently encouraged her to watch the current season. Although Garth initially rejected the suggestion, she eventually found herself captivated by the contestants and their performances. Watching them brought back memories of learning difficult routines, challenging herself and performing live before a large audience.
The experience also prompted Garth to revisit her own time on the programme in a bonus episode of her podcast, I Choose Me. She reflected on the pressure she had felt during the competition and how her perspective had changed with time.
Berkley’s comments do not identify specific incidents of manufactured drama from her season, nor do they detail exactly what prompted her criticism. Instead, she expressed appreciation for what she sees as a more positive direction for the programme.
Her remarks arrive as two former contestants reconsider experiences that once left a lasting impression on them. While Garth has rediscovered her enjoyment of the dancing itself, Berkley has welcomed what she perceives as a shift away from unnecessary conflict. Together, their reflections offer a glimpse into how the competition can be remembered differently years after the final dance.
Source: Compiled from various sources
