Carrie Ann Inaba in tears during DWTS premiere as she praises Selma Blair's performance
Carrie Ann Inaba is incredibly sympathetic and isn't afraid to let her emotions show.
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On Monday's Dancing with the Stars premiere, she was left in tears after watching Selma Blair perform for the first time on the show, for an incredibly personal reason.
Selma - who is competing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 - danced the Viennese waltz with her partner Sasha Farber to David Cook's Time of my Life.
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Carrie - who suffers from several autoimmune diseases - could relate to Selma and her incredible strength only too well.
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The star related to the actress as a "fellow invisible illness bearer" and was visibly moved. Selma herself broke down in tears after receiving her scores, telling the judges: "I'm so grateful, I'm so grateful."
She and Sasha found themselves in a third place tie with Drag Race star Shangela and her partner Gleb Savchenko, with both teams scoring 27 points.
Selma Blair shared backstage footage ahead of her emotional first DWTS performance
The show's premiere was historic, being the first one to air on Disney+ instead of ABC.
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While the same judges, Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Len Goodman, returned, there were more changes to be seen.
Along with a few returning pros and a revamped set, host Tyra Banks was joined for the first time by a new co-host, the winner of season 19, Alfonso Ribeiro.
Selma with her dance partner Sasha Farber
The first show also saw the first couple to leave the competition, with Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd leaving the ballroom.
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The duo performed the cha-cha-cha and received mixed to negative critiques from the judges, ultimately resulting in a score of 18 out of 40 and unanimously losing the judges' save.
The premiere episode also established an early frontrunner among the 16 celebrity and professional pairings, that being TikTok sensation Charli D'Amelio.
Joined by returning pro Mark Ballas, they danced the cha-cha-cha to Savage, getting rave reviews from the judges for her technical ability. They were scored a 32 out of 40, the highest of the night and enough to make them an early favorite moving forward.
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