After Dancing with the Stars elimination, Harry Jowsey shares that he got death threats “over my terrible dance moves”
In the world of reality competitions, the fans vote for their favorites. And for some voters, their motivations have nothing to do with skill. If a contestant is cute and engaging, that may be enough to send them deep into the competition. In the meantime, fans who believe skill and talent should be the criteria for moving on, can get pretty testy when an “undeserving” contestant goes far.
On Dancing with the Stars season 32, it was social media star Harry Jowsey who had some fans up in arms. Harry, a big guy, tended to–in lieu of actual dancing–lumber awkwardly around the stage. He was obviously trying, which made him an endearing presence on the dance floor. Throw in a cute showmance with his pro partner Rylee Arnold, and the two possessed enough charm to overcome consistently low scores from the judges.
But finally, the end came for the couple on Taylor Swift night, Top 6 week (Read our Recap). After the show, Harry and Rylee shared about how they stayed positive in the face of a ton of criticism. The negativity could be intense. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Harry said he gained an “incredible relationship” from the show. Also “a few dance moves that are probably going to fall out of my head!”
“It’s been crazy. I can’t believe I’ve had people give me death threats”
But Harry is glad that competing on Dancing with the Stars allowed him to try something new and not be afraid. And, on a darker note he said he learned that he could “put up with so much hate.” He continued, “It’s been crazy. I can’t believe I’ve had people give me death threats over my terrible dance moves.” He added, “I’ve been able to not take it personal and keep moving forward.”
The thing about Harry is that he constantly joked about his bad skills, while trying his very best. “I’m never going to use those skills again,” he joked (watch below). He had Rylee cracking up all through the interview. It’s easy to see what she finds appealing about him. He’s like a big ole teddy bear.
‘Ugh, two weeks left! Come on, Harry, why did you not be good?”
Continuing his self-deprecation in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Harry shared that he wished he could have danced longer. “We made it so far, and I’m like, ‘Ugh, two weeks left! Come on, Harry, why did you not be good?'” He added, “But to be able to live out someone’s dream with them is the most fulfilling thing, you know? It’s Rylee’s biggest dream [since] she was a little girl to be able to make it here.”
Rylee, 18, is the younger sister to past Dancing With the Stars champion Lindsay Arnold. Season 32 was her first as a pro on DWTS.
“She watched her sister do it and now she’s doing it, it’s so incredible,” Harry said. “To be like a small part in such an incredible story is the biggest takeaway for me, so yeah, it’s been incredible.”
“It is bittersweet ’cause we made it so far! And I’m so grateful for the whole experience,” Rylee added, “I’m so happy with how everything went and I’m so grateful I was paired with Harry, and I’m just so proud of him. It was seriously so enjoyable the whole time.”
“You know, it’s been pretty much every night where we haven’t had the best scores,” Harry told ET. “But for her to talk me out of whatever hump I’m in and just put on a brave face, it’s just been incredibly mature.”
