Alix Earle’s “Wicked” Turn on Dancing with the Stars: When an Influencer Outdanced Expectations
TikTok icon Alix Earle and pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy are turning ballroom blunders into pure charm and proving influencer contestants might just rule DWTS.
Los Angeles, October 22 EST: Alix Earle didn’t exactly waltz into Dancing with the Stars as a trained performer. She came in as what the internet knows her best for a TikTok powerhouse who can sell out a serum and pull five million views from her bedroom mirror. But three weeks into Season 34, she’s proving she’s more than an influencer with good lighting.
And if Tuesday night’s “Wicked Night” episode is any hint, she might just be the most unexpectedly watchable contestant of the season even when things go a little off-script.
From Brand Deals To Ballroom Feels
Let’s be honest: no one expected the girl who built her career on “Get Ready With Me” videos to start living out her defy gravity era. Yet here she is, bruises and all, taking on jazz choreography from Val Chmerkovskiy, a two-time DWTS champ and resident perfectionist.
“I can’t get through the first fifteen seconds without heaving,” Earle admitted to People. The influencer-turned-contestant has been hilariously transparent about how hard the show actually is losing a toenail, fighting for breath, and still keeping her lashes glued on. That’s commitment.
It’s also the exact reason fans are tuning in. Earle doesn’t hide the chaos; she folds it into her brand. Authentic exhaustion is her aesthetic, and on DWTS, that’s working for her.
Val’s “Lonely” Problem (And The Funniest Flub Of The Season)
During their “Wicked Night” number a jazz routine set to What Is This Feeling? Earle spilled that Val kept mouthing the wrong lyric in rehearsal. The word was supposed to be “loathing.” Val? He went with “lonely.”
“English is my second language,” he laughed to People, and the internet promptly crowned it the most relatable DWTS blooper of the season.
It’s the kind of perfectly human moment that reminds viewers these routines aren’t conjured up by AI precision. They’re built on sweat, nerves, and the occasional linguistic meltdown. For Val, a Ukrainian-born pro who’s been on the show for over a decade, it was a reminder that even the experts crack under Broadway-level pressure. For Alix, it was a gift a viral soundbite that showed she and her partner are having actual fun in the grind.
Are Influencers Judged Tougher Than The Rest?
There’s always been a quiet bias on DWTS: actors are “artists,” athletes are “competitors,” and influencers are… what, exactly? The fandom isn’t always sure.
But that’s what makes Earle’s run so interesting. Every lift, every spin, every slightly awkward foot placement feels like a fight to be taken seriously. The stakes are higher for someone whose fame didn’t start in a studio but on a For You Page.
She’s playing a different game less about technique, more about transformation. If she keeps growing, she could do what few influencers have done on network TV: flip public perception from “social-media experiment” to “legit contender.”
And honestly? That’s a storyline even DWTS producers couldn’t script better.
When One Slip Turns Into A Whole New Story
Reality TV runs on accidents. A misheard lyric, a forgotten step, a shaky hand those moments don’t just happen; they land. They turn into GIFs, fan edits, and a thousand comments about “what really went down.”
Earle and Chmerkovskiy’s little “lonely/loathing” slip didn’t break their momentum; it added texture. It made them a duo to root for because they weren’t chasing perfection they were laughing through the flaws.
In a season where some contestants feel overly polished, Alix and Val are reminding everyone that the best chemistry comes from imperfection. And that’s showbiz, baby.
So, What Keeps Fans Coming Back?
It’s not just the jazz hands. It’s their energy. Their banter. The way Earle looks at Val when she finally lands a turn. The way he claps for her like a proud older brother who just discovered Gen Z slang.
They’ve got something real not romantic tension, but a mutual rhythm. A sense of humor that disarms. That connection, more than footwork or flair, is what keeps people invested week after week.
DWTS has had its share of polished duos, but few feel this plugged-in to the cultural moment. Earle’s vulnerability meets Val’s veteran steadiness, and together, they make ballroom dancing look like a relatable chaos and that’s precisely the kind of chaos fans want to see.
The Bottom Line
Alix Earle isn’t rewriting the rules of Dancing with the Stars, but she’s giving them a TikTok-era remix. She’s real, she’s rough around the edges, and she’s accidentally funny which might just be the winning combo in a show that thrives on personality as much as pirouettes.
Her journey is a slow burn, but it’s one that feels honest. If she keeps embracing the stumbles, not hiding from them, she might just go from influencer to fan favorite and maybe even to mirrorball material.
Until then, fans can count on at least one thing each week: a dance worth watching, a partner worth rooting for, and maybe one more word Val gets hilariously wrong.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
