It has been two seasons since Melissa Joan Hart competed on “Dancing with the Stars,” but with the recent Bolton-gate scandal, the actress said she was reminded of just how tough the judges grade.
“I didn’t think the judges bothered me. It took me about three weeks to realize the judges bother me,” Melissa told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Monday’s Access Hollywood Live. “I said I was doing it for myself, I really didn’t care at the beginning, but the first time I did it, I was so proud of myself. You finish and you’re like, ‘I did it! That was so much fun.’ [Then] you step over to the judges table, they’re like, ‘Ahhhh! That sucked.’”
Melissa said that she felt for sorry Michael Bolton while watching judge Bruno Tonioli tear down the crooner on last week’s “DWTS” episode. Bruno called Bolton’s jive the “worst” in 11 seasons.
“I was reminded that everybody goes on to that just out of their comfort zone, trying something different,” she said. “It takes a lot of guts to do it and you don’t need to be bashed like that.”
Shortly before Michael left the show, the second contestant voted out of Season 11, he finally said his peace, calling Bruno’s remarks, “inappropriate and disrespectful.” On Monday’s Access Hollywood Live, Melissa admitted she’s not a fan of the sharp-tongued Italian judge either.
“There are certain critiques that are help and there are certain that are just mean and I found Bruno to be very mean,” she said of her own experiences with the judge.
While Melissa had sympathy for Bolton, Melissa has a lot less love for Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino.
“I’m not even talking about that, I’m not even going there,” she said when Billy brought up The Sitch in conversation.
Melissa said she wasn’t impressed with the “Jersey Shore” star’s dancing skills, although she was impressed with the way he’s risen to become a star.
“I’m impressed that he’s become ‘The Situation,’ like ‘The Rock,’ but I don’t know,” she said. “The fact that he’s on the show — way to go… takes a lot of guts — but it’s just interesting how some people end up some places.”
As for the remaining contestants in the competition, Melissa said Jennifer Grey, Brandy and Kyle Massey all impressed her, but she only picks one of them for the top.
“I actually think it’ll end up [being] Kurt Warner and Jennifer Grey [at the end],” Melissa predicted.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.