“Dancing with the Stars” 30th season premiered on Monday night, with a same-sex dancing team and one contestant who upset some viewers just by being there.
Contestant Olivia Jade Giannulli (Olivia Jade) is under scrutiny because her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, served time in prison for the college admissions scandal that exploded in March of 2019.
On “DWTS” Jade introduced herself with: “I’m probably best known for being an influencer. But the last few years I’ve been, I guess you could say, wrapped up in a scandal.”
She is paired with pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy and the two danced a salsa for Jade’s first dance.
One viewer wrote on Twitter, “SEND OLIVIA JADE HOME. Stop rewarding terrible behavior.”
The show also featured its first partnership between two women, teaming singer JoJo Siwa with pro dancer Jenna Johnson.
“For the first time in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ history, I am dancing with another female. And I’m really, really proud,” Siwa said. “I came out in early 2021, and what I love to do is make truly being who you are easier for kids.”
That dance went over better on Twitter, with one commenter writing, “me singing up for an abc account so i can vote for jojo siwa on dancing with the stars.”