Tori Spelling, 51, Makes ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Debut, Sparking Buzz for Foxtrot Performance — Here’s Why

Bringing poised elegance to the stage of “Dancing with the Stars,” Hollywood star Tori Spelling, 51, made a striking debut on the show with her partner Pasha Pashkov. The duo dazzled the audience with their foxtrot performance. However, Spelling, who was supported by her “90210” castmates, received comments of concern and critique from some netizens.

For the classic ballroom dance that she performed on September 17, Spelling donned a beautiful, sparkly dress that was partially sheer by her midriff. She paired her flowy gown with bedazzled heels and rocked two braids on both sides of her head, leaving the rest of her blonde locks in loose curls.

Her dance partner, Pashkov, sported an all-white outfit, which included a double-belted suit jacket, formal pants, and dress shoes.

Video footage of their performance showed a bird’s eye view of Spelling moving her arms and legs up and down while lying on the floor.

After the actress had her solo moment, Pashkov met her at the center of the dance floor and lifted her by her wrists.

From there, the duo danced their hearts out to “Trustfall” by iconic artist P!nk. Donning a huge smile on her face, Spelling spun, swayed, waltzed, dipped, kicked, and shimmied across the stage while being led by Pashkov, who, amid executing his dance moves, made sure they kept up with their choreography.

After seeing the TV personality give her all during her performance, social media users did not hold back their opinions. Instead of focusing on her technique and how she performed, some people penned comments of concern for her wellbeing.

“Something [is] not right with her!” exclaimed a Facebooker while another reiterated, “She needs to calm down something is not right with her sorry.” “She looked like a frightened ghost,” added someone else.

On the other hand, people diverted their attention to Spelling’s dancing. “Awful performance,” criticized an observer. Commenting on Spelling’s excited energy, which she showed via facial expressions, another pointed out, “Her face and voice don’t match 😆🤣 she needs more practice 🤷🏽‍♀️.”

“Her choreography was way easier than most other dancers, not really fair to the other dancers..” remarked a commenter on YouTube. Another noted, “That was tough! 😂 Bless her heart, at least she looks happy? 😂”

Juxtaposing the aforementioned comments, other people believe Spelling did a good job. Referencing the scores that she and Pashkov received, an unhappy fan wrote, “She deserved better scores! Why was she undercut? Such beauty to her routine!!”

“She did very well. Much better than I thought she would do. Keep it up,” praised a fan. An admirer who was feeling nostalgic swooned, “This was heart-touching bc I grew up watching ‘90210’ and now many yrs later we are so much older. Tori you did so good. You look amazing. Loved your outfit. Great job!”

On the night Spelling performed the foxtrot, she conducted a brief interview with Extra during which she revealed why she finally agreed to be a part of the show.

Regardless of what some had to say about Spelling’s performance and her appearance, the actress made it clear that she had an amazing time.

Taking to X with a heartfelt message after dancing the foxtrot, Spelling gushed, “Wow! What an unforgettable night with Pasha Pashkov and the cast of @officialdwts! 💃 Thank you all SO much for the love, support, and votes! […] Being on #DWTS live last night was a dream come true. ❤️ Let’s keep dancing! #Grateful.”

Among the many people who Spelling mentioned have been showing her support are her fellow “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-stars, Brian Austin Green, Gabrielle Carteris, Jennie Garth, and Ian Ziering.

Before Spelling made her “DWTS” debut on Wednesday night, her co-stars spoke about how excited they were to see her compete for the Mirrorball Trophy on season 33 of the show. They shared words of encouragement for Spelling during the “90201” panel at the 90s Con event on September 14.

While all of them acknowledged that the dancing competition show is undoubtedly tough, they wished Spelling nothing but the best. Green, who has competed on “DWTS” in a past season, encouraged, “Keep your head on, enjoy the experience.”

Garth said, “I’m so excited for her I think she’s going to do great,” which Carteris echoed. “We’re all rooting for her. Make sure you do the same,” highlighted Ziering.

On the night Spelling performed the foxtrot, she conducted a brief interview with Extra during which she revealed why she finally agreed to be a part of the show.

Spelling spoke about how she previously turned the offer to compete down, which she made clear was not because she isn’t a fan of the show as she confirmed that she is a huge one.

“For 32 seasons I said, ‘No,’ because I didn’t believe I could do it. I thought I’d be embarrassed and I would just like fail, fail, fail, and this year when they asked, it was like a different mindset and I don’t know, this is a big year for me personally and emotionally and I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do it,'” divulged Spelling.

The TV star managed to put her fears to the side and compete despite the reservations she admitted to having. While she may have had worries about being embarrassed, taking risks and being bold is nothing new for Tori Spelling, especially when it comes to what she wears.

Not too long ago, she was seen rocking a daring outfit that showed off her fit physique and toned abs in an Instagram carousel post she shared in March (2024). This look prompted a flurry of comments online.

She donned a sheer crop top paired with low-hanging charcoal khaki pants that teasingly revealed her Calvin Klein underwear. The caption in Spelling’s post read, “work hard. play hard. repeat,” and was accompanied by specific hashtags and mentions of her glam squad, who helped bring her look to life.

While some admirers showered her with praises, commenting, “You’re aging in reverse! What’s your secret?!? 😍” and “Have you been lifting weights? Your abs look great!”, others expressed their disapproval, specifically regarding her visible underwear.

“Everything is great except the underpants showing,” stated one user, while another asserted, “Love everything but the undies sticking out […] Looks bad.”

Amid the varied feedback, one person wrote, “You know you’re 50, right?” However, another fan came to Spelling’s defense, saying, “Love your pants. No age limit [is] required. Where are they from?” In response, the star disclosed, “@tillys,” which is an American apparel brand that makes clothes for women, men, and children.

When it comes to fitness and health, Spelling has divulged details concerning her wellness journey several times. In a revealing 2009 interview, the actress shared the nuanced challenges of bouncing back after her first two pregnancies.

She described the distinct approaches she took with each pregnancy and highlighted the societal pressures she faced.

“Fitness-wise, umm, it was different with both pregnancies […] I gained 40 pounds with each pregnancy, with Liam, I went on a diet regime, I went on an exercise regime and I did lose the weight […] I see all the actresses, like weeks after they have a baby and they look perfect so, I thought that’s what would happen and it didn’t,” explained Spelling.

Juggling a busy work schedule and the desire to spend quality time with her kids rather than spend hours in a gym, Spelling — with the support of her then-husband Dean McDermott — opted for lifestyle changes over strict regimes. This approach included biking, which she said was new for her, and cooking meals together with her family.

However, in her book “Spelling It Like It Is,” the doting mom provided a candid look into the reality behind her post-pregnancy weight loss. She admitted to previously lying about the methods she used and revealing that she didn’t eat much and would nibble on rice cakes.

On this, she confessed, “Women didn’t want to know that I had lost weight through dieting, not exercising. I didn’t want to be the […] who didn’t work for it. So I said that I swam. It was sort of a bad choice […] Stella, who had witnessed the mineral wraps, almost blew my cover. She was in the kitchen with the makeup and hair person from Us before I came in.”

This acknowledgment in her book came as a contrast to her interview with Us Magazine in 2013, where she showcased her bikini body and discussed her weight loss journey.

In this interview, she claimed, “I feel like I took off the weight safely, and I’m totally happy here,” which showcased the complex pressures celebrities may face when trying to portray an idealized image of health and fitness.