Dancing With the Stars pro Ezra Sosa got real about the criticism he’s faced over his choreography, and his response might surprise viewers.
“When I realized I got a higher week 1 score last season,” Sosa, 24, write alongside a TikTok video shared on Wednesday, September 17, joking about “the irony of it all.” Throughout the clip, Sosa covered his mouth with his hand and appeared to be shocked.
During the season 33 premiere in 2024, Sosa and partner Anna Delvey scored an 18 out of 30 for their cha-cha. Meanwhile, he and his current partner, Jordan Chiles, only earned 10 out of 20 points for their salsa during the season 34 premiere on Tuesday, September 16.
Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were the only judges featured on the season premiere, as Carrie Ann Inaba was out sick. Meanwhile, Hough, 40, and Tonioli, 69, were open about their plans to give lower scores than usual.
“The scoring tonight, just be mindful, it might be a little lower than you’re expecting because there’s a long way to go,” Hough told Sosa and Chiles, 24, following their performance. “This is a marathon. We want to give you guys room to grow.”
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While Sosa seemed to understand Hough’s critiques, several fans took to the comments section of his TikTok video shares on Wednesday to ask him to give Chiles “the choreo she deserves.”
“BB it’s OK,” Sosa responded to one fan. “I signed up for this. I appreciate the criticism [and] it makes me better! [I] wanna make you guys proud.”
Sosa is no stranger to DWTS after competing on season 33, though he recently admitted he was surprised to be asked back after being eliminated during the first episode on his debut season.
“Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. During that time, I was so confident I was never going to be on the show again, so I already took a job in New York. I was workshopping a Broadway show,” he told The Hollywood Reporter about being brought back for season 34. “My mind, my heart, was set onto another journey. So when I got the call, the EP of the show was like, “Are you okay?” Because I literally sounded like I had the worst news of my life, I just couldn’t speak. I just couldn’t believe it. But it was after that I just sat with myself and I knew my life was gonna change.”
Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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