Why was Kelly Monaco warned against DWTS appearance? Actress explains 

Kelly Monaco didn’t know much about ballroom dancing. However, that didn’t stop her from joining the first-ever season of Dancing with the Stars in 2005. The General Hospital star recently opened up to Entertainment Weekly about how her decision to join the ABC dance competition was met with skepticism, even disapproval, from people she trusted.

“I had a letter in my mailbox in my dressing room at General Hospital. We have these little mailboxes outside of our dressing rooms, and there was a letter in there, and it was a request to do Dancing with the Stars, I remember bringing it home and getting feedback from family, friends, and so forth, and they were like, ‘You can’t do a reality show. Actors don’t do a reality show,’” she shared.

At that point, Kelly Monaco had only been on the soap opera for two years. The idea of stepping onto a reality show, especially one involving dance, felt weird.

“I had never heard of ballroom dancing before. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But I was just like, ‘F*** it. I’ll try anything once.’ That’s how I’ve always rolled in life. If an opportunity comes, I’ll try it.” she shared.

Kelly Monaco later went on to join the DWTS cast alongside Alec Mazo, John O’Hurley, Joey McIntyre, Rachel Hunter, Evander Holyfield and Trista Sutter. She ultimately danced her way into the show's history.

Kelly Monaco opens up about a scary live TV moment on Dancing With the Stars

Kelly Monaco had more than just stage fright to battle during her Dancing with the Stars debut. The General Hospital actress, who competed in the show’s first season, opened up to Entertainment Weekly about her partnership with dancer Alec Mazo and the unexpected challenges they faced live on air.

“Alec was very strict, and he prepared me for every obstacle, he would have whoever was around throw obstacles at us. So, he prepared me for that, but oh my God, it was so scary. I felt like someone had a laser beam from five miles away and shot my costume,” Monaco recalled.

She described the intense moments before stepping onto the live stage.

“It was a countdown to going live, ‘Five, four, three, pop!’ I was like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ And then, ‘Two, one, pop!’ I know I get at least five counts of a walk over to Alec, walking toward him for our dance. But I remember looking at the judges, looking at whoever like, ‘Is there a stop button? Okay, there's nothing. I just have to go through it.’”

Despite the pressure and wardrobe malfunction, Kelly Monaco found her footing thanks to Mazo’s unwavering presence.

“So, I’m like, ‘Okay, well, I'll just hold my dress up while I dance.’ Alec supported me every step of the way. I don't think I felt more confident in any dance. I was able to persevere and get through the dance with a standing ovation,” she explained.

Kelly Monaco believed her live performance and the way she handled a high-stakes wardrobe malfunction became a defining moment in her time on Dancing with the Stars. Looking back, the actress said it changed how audiences saw her.

Trending

“It was the turnaround of my experience with dance and the show and the audience, after that, the audience related to me. Because I was on soap operas for so long, I had only been known as this villain and was only called by my soap name in public. This gave the audience a chance to see the real me in a circumstance where you can either fall flat or rise above.”

Monaco ultimately danced her way to the Season 1 finale. But her win didn’t come without controversy. While John O’Hurley was considered a frontrunner by both the judges and viewers, Monaco was announced the champion, a surprise that sparked backlash and speculation over whether the result had been rigged.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback