"Dancing With The Stars" season 24 began March 20 on ABC. So how did the 12 new pairs fare? Here's a list of premiere night superlatives to give you a taste of the action.
The awards
Most likely to open a new season on a high note: Normani Kordei. The Fifth Harmony star and Val Chmerkovskiy kicked off "DWTS" season 24 with a lovely, Harmonizer-approved quickstep. 27
Most likely to be sent home first: Chris Kattan. The "SNL" alum's cha cha with Witney Carson was a bit rough around the edges (and in the middle). Bonus points for the "What is Love" music pick, but he's probably going home first.
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Most likely to star in a reality TV show with Bruno: Charo. Cuchi cuchi! The pop culture icon's salsa with Keo Motsepe was a high octane jolt of fun, but it was her post-dance, table-charging interaction with the feisty Italian panelist that really ignited the ballroom. 21
Most likely to inspire awkward interactions: Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess. Season 24's sexiest pair turned in a hose-worthy cha cha to Luke Bryan's "Move" that left Carrie Ann Inaba panting, but Erin Andrews turned up the heat during the duo's post-dance Q&A session. The 29-year old bull rider praised his partner for "drillin' me hard and workin' me hard and crackin' that whip." And he said it all without cracking a smile.
Okay then. Crack that whip, Sharna. Crack that whip. 22
Most likely to get lost in the shuffle: Nancy Kerrigan. The two-time Olympic figure skating medalist turned in a beautiful Viennese waltz alongside Artem Chigvintsev and earned heaps of praise from the judges, but her time in the spotlight was eons ago. An informal poll of 12-year old viewers revealed that zero percent know why she's famous.
That's probably not good. 28
Most likely to suck up to the judges: Nick Viall. The former "Bachelor" gave Bruno a rose before he and Peta Murgatroyd danced their cha cha. 24
Most likely to insist that being a pop diva's backup dancer isn't actually an advantage: Heather Morris. The "Glee" alum's Viennese waltz with Maksim Chmerkovskiy was lovely: airy and light with a few flicks of magic thrown in for good measure.
But she was a back-up dancer for Beyonce. Bey-freakin'-once. No matter what Julianne Hough says, that's still an advantage in "DWTS" land. 28
Most likely to underdress for the camera: Erika Jayne. The 45-year old "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star and Gleb Savchenko brought a touch of raunch (and a life-sized unicorn) to the ballroom with their sexy salsa. 24
Most likely to surprise fans with an unexpectedly good dance: David Ross. The first-ever MLB player to hoof it on "Dancing with the Stars" soil admitted to having "zero confidence" in his dance ability, but he came out in go-mode and delivered during his Cubs-centric quickstep with Lindsay Arnold. Two takeaways: G-pa Rossy rocks, and Lindsay is the bomb.
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Most likely to admit to having butterflies in his tummy: Mr. T. The iconic TV star brought "The A-Team" to "DWTS" season 24 via his cha cha with Kym Herjavec. It was a tasty bite of 80s fare, and the legendary tough guy showed his marshmallow-y center when he admitted to having pre-performance "butterflies" in his stomach. Aw. 20
Most likely to look incredibly smooth while killing a cha cha: Rashad Jennings. One word for this guy's first dance with Emma Slater: woohoo! Bruno called their glittering romp "the revelation of the night" and he was totes right. It could finally be Emma's year! 31 But they'll have to get through....
The presumptive winner?
Most likely to live up to sky-high pre-show expectations: Simone Biles.
Talk about ice in the veins. There was plenty of premiere night pressure on the decorated gymnast, but Biles did what she did when she won her Olympic, world, and national all-around titles: she dominated. She danced the heck out of her tango with Sasha Farber, showing off her near-perfect form, grace, elegance, and beautiful smile. Game, set, match. She may be little, but she be mighty, and she's the one to beat. 32
