DWTS Season 19: Serge Onik

We're back! It was so much fun to be back in studio with Anna Trebunskaya and Suri Serano after a long summer away. Jake DuPree will be back for our Sept. 30 show, but in the meantime, SYTYCD's Serge Onik is doing a great job at filling in.

I wasn't too sure about this season. I didn't love the contestants, but Monday night's show proved that we are going to have fun this season with some unexpected choices. I'm excited by the possibilities…

Next week: Serge is in for Jake and Elena Grinenko is our guest. If you heard me say new pro Keo Motsepe is on next week, that was my mistake. He will be on our Sept. 30 show. I read the email wrong and I clearly have no concept of time.

We are on at Wednesday at 5 p.m. next week on AfterBuzz TV.

SYTYCD Season 11: Jaimie Goodwin & Nick Lazzarini

We can never predict what a guest is going to be like the first time they come into the studio. What a great pair we got with Jaimie Goodwin and Nick Lazzarini. I have really wanted more of the earlier season contestants on our show because SYTYCD Season 1 is far different from SYTYCD Season 11.  Nick received a penthouse rental as a prize, but he took the money and ran…and invested it. Very smart!

I also asked Jaimie about working on Derek Hough's Emmy Award-winning piece "Walking on Air" and we got the answer of a lifetime. Glad she has recovered. Ouch!

This was Jake DuPree's last episode of the season with us, but he will be returning to DWTS in October. We will have a fill-in guest until he returns on DWTS.

Next week's guest is a longtime friend to our AfterBuzz TV show, Courtney Galiano. See you all next week!

SYTYCD Season 11: Kent Boyd and Rose Marziale

It was so much fun to have guests during audition rounds for SYTYCD. We normally wait until we hit the Top 20. Thanks for Rose Marziale and Kent Boyd for joining us and giving us the inside scoop on their short film, It Remains. While Kent didn't officially confirm it on-camera, he is headed off to shoot Teen Beach Movie 2. Mark my words, he's part of the cast.

Tell us what you think of the auditions in Chicago and Los Angeles. Are you enjoying them or are you ready to just get to the Top 20 like we are? 

DWTS Season 18 on AfterBuzz TV

We are almost back for the next season and we do have a few changes to announce. I know many of you on the East Coast hated how late we were on. We heard you and the show will be at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET live on AfterBuzz TV. I hope this makes it easier for you to watch us live this season.

We also have a host change for Season 18 only. Jake DuPree is unable to join us for Season 18 due to a scheduling conflict. He will be back for Season 19 because we all love him so much on our team. Filling in for Jake this season will be a face many of you are familiar with…Julz Tocker! He has graciously decided to step in and help us out. Suri Serano and Anna Trebunskaya will be back, so while we will miss Jake, Julz will add a lot of insight to our team. Make sure to give Julz a big AfterBuzz TV welcome!

Our first guest will be announced soon. You can always keep checking the DWTS Guest Page for more information. UPDATE: First guest is announced!

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Tristan MacManus

I cannot believe the end of the season is here. I want to thank all of our guests who took the time out to visit this season: Sharna Burgess, Henry Byalikov, Julz Tocker, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson, Tyne Stecklein, Tony Dovolani, Gleb Savchenko, Toni Basil, Sonny Pederson and Tristan MacManus. 

I think it's the most guest-heavy season we've ever had. For those of you who have been around since Season 15 when it was just me and Suri, you know how far we've come. We are still a work in progress, but I loved how our team really jelled this season. Anna and Jake were great additions to AfterBuzz in Season 16 and we hope to all be back together (with Baby Trebunskaya!) in Season 18. 

Thank you for all of your comments and support. It means a lot to us. We have worked hard to bring you the best shows possible. So, here's to Season 18.

Have a great holiday season and see you all in March!

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: The Finale Preview

What a finale! I really enjoyed this finale more than other seasons in recent memory. I feel like the pros came into this season with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. The celebs all had great stories and reasons for taking on the show.

We have so much to talk about tomorrow on AfterBuzz TV, so I am going to open the forum to you. We are not having any guests, just the AfterBuzz team talking about the Top 4 dances and the season in general. If you have a hot topic you want us to talk about, let me know in the comments below.

Just a reminder that our show is live tomorrow at 2pm PT at AfterBuzz TV. We can't wait to hear from all of you!

My Thoughts on DWTS This Week: Just The Facts

It's been a very long day. I was working all day and my phone was blowing up. I had a feeling I knew why, but the level it escalated to was astonishing.  I have a busy week of work ahead of me and I can't go around to every site and respond to comments. I will do it here only once. No Twitter, no Facebook, no YouTube…only here.

I am actually going to leave emotion out of it as much as possible because no one wins on either side of the argument. Here are the facts:

1. The lead host for AfterBuzz TV books the guests, in most cases. The weeks I have been out of town, Suri has held down the fort and secured guests for us. I am working in Florida this week and Tony Dovolani kindly agreed to come on the show.

2. He is the ONLY pro who has come on twice very late in the season. Season 15, Week 6 and this week. The only other pro to come on while she was still on the show was Sharna Burgess during Season 16, Week 1. It is very difficult to come in the middle of their season, week 1 or week 9. We are grateful to anyone who takes the time out to appear on our show…but the extra effort late in the game is more than appreciated.

3. While many of you were upset, there were many who were happy to see our guests this week. Thank you for your kind words. We try to appeal to all sides of DWTS…and there are many sides as you all know.

4. I have a pretty thick skin, but others do not and some of your words really hurt them. It made me sad to see my friends and co-hosts feeling so down. We are a team…we rise and fall together. They all know I love them very much and they have my support.

5. We always take your comments into consideration for our show. However, if a pro becomes available mid-season while they are still competing, we want them on the show--no matter what.

You are welcome to leave comments here on my blog.  I won't be able to comment on Twitter or other places since my work schedule is nuts this week. I hope you all understand.

Everyone will be back in studio and we will be working hard to deliver the best show possible to you for Week 10. See you all on Tuesday!


xo KB

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Jake DuPree, Julz Tocker, Kristyn Burtt

The day is finally here! We are back in studio for Season 17 of DWTS. I thought Julz Tocker was a really fun first guest. I was so happy he was at the show the night before because he gave us insight that we wouldn't have normally had. With all of the changes, I think it was an important aspect to talk about.

A couple of things that I want to address from our show last night:
1. Tyne Stecklein: I've seen the forums. I've seen what everyone has said. I want to take a different approach to talking about the situation. It's her first year. The producers wanted her. She danced with MJ, so she can dance. Ballroom is not her background, but look....she's trying in front of 16.2 million of us on live television. Let's give her our support.

2. Troupe: I think we are seeing how important the troupe is for training, choreography and learning the rhythm of the show. The transition to pro was much easier for Sharna, Emma and Sasha...discuss.

3. Choreography: This season, I really want to hold the pros even more accountable for what they are putting out there each week. It's why some of the cast members have been nominated for Emmys. We made it a part of our discussion each week on SYTYCD for Season 10, so I would like to discuss it more on AfterBuzz TV this season. Do you agree?

Thanks for all of your support. We are so glad to be back with all of you. I'm working hard on a guest for next week!
 

DWTS Season 17: Week 1 Preview

We are just days away from the kickoff episode of Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars. It's been a long summer without you, but a big "thanks" to those who joined me and Jake for Season 10 of SYTYCD. We had a blast with some amazing guests. We are hoping to keep that tradition going with this season of DWTS.

The entire crew is back on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. PT this season: me, Suri Serano, Jake DuPree, Anna Trebunskaya...and one small addition: Baby Bump Trebunskaya! We are so excited for our co-host and her exciting new adventure.

Our first guest is locked and ready to go, so get those questions in for Julian Tocker, one of Season 16's troupe members. Questions go in the comments section below.

You can watch the show live here on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.

Our guest list is published here so you can mark your calendars for your DWTS favorites.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

Photo courtesy of Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

We had so much fun having Chehon on the show on Wednesday. Listen to how perceptive his thoughts are on some of the dancers and choreography. You are definitely watching a budding choreographer and director...mark my words!

See our official in studio photo with Chehon here >>

We had a lot of questions about Chehon's dating life and you see his reaction to the question when I asked it. Yep, comes with the territory of being a good-looking guy, but I totally respect his privacy. It's actually a very smart move, in my opinion.

Photo courtesy of Chehon Wespi-Tschopp

We didn't have time to get to all of the questions, but I know a lot of you are excited about his new movie, East Side Story, with Witney Carson. Hopefully, we will have both of them back on the show later in the season.

If you missed this week's show, you can watch it below or download the podcast here.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Vegas

We finally made it to Vegas! I am so excited for the season to start because I think the Top 20 is going to be the strongest cast we have seen in a few seasons.  We will also start bringing in guests next week, so stay tuned to see who will be our first guest on AfterBuzz TV.

Alas, we found out Jake's fate on the show as well. I'm sad he won't continue on, but we are all so proud of him for making it to Vegas. It's such a big accomplishment. Congrats, Jake....we love you!

Finally, I have a few choice words for Nigel Lythgoe. I have a problem when he starts setting up scenarios on the show to create drama like #TheBattle. Viewers can see right through this staged moment and it created a fraudulent moment on a show that has so much heart when it just lets the drama unfold naturally.  So, stop tinkering with the show, Nigel!

Let me know who your favorites are for the Top 20 in the comments below. It will be interesting to see if your predictions are right!

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS: Henry Byalikov

This was such a fun show. I'm so glad we had Henry Byalikov back on this season for a second time so he was able to give us the inside scoop on his work with Baz Lurhmann on Gatsby.  He's always a great guest and we all know his fans are legendary.

Catch our pre-show Vine video here.

It was our last show with Anna Trebunskaya and we are going to miss her next week. She's been a great addition to the show this season on AfterBuzz TV. However, we do have two pros currently confirmed for next week's show. Be sure to come back here on Tuesday to find out who it is. I am really excited to end the season in a big way. It will be an awesome finish to a fascinating season.

I wanted to list everyone's Top 4 predictions for next week. I think our answers shocked a few of you and none of us had the same answer. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below. See you all next week!

Predictions:

Suri                        Anna
1st: Jacoby              1st/2nd: Kellie/Jacoby (She couldn't decide.)
2nd:  Kellie              3rd: Aly
3rd: Zendaya           4th: Zendaya
4th: Aly

Henry                     Jake:
1st: Kellie                1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby            2nd: Zendaya
3rd:  Aly                  3rd: Jacoby
4th: Zendaya           4th: Aly

Kristyn
1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby
3rd: Zendaya
4th: Aly

If you missed the show, you can watch below.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Week 9 Preview

We are welcoming back a return guest for us this week on AfterBuzz TV, in honor of the release of the Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby, it's Henry Byalikov. We will have the opportunity to ask him about the film and what it was like working with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, so get those questions in now!  Remember, add them to the comments below.

You can find the AfterBuzz TV DWTS show here, Wednesday at 9pm PT.

Suri, Jake and I are definitely back this week. We are waiting for confirmation from Anna. UPDATE: Anna will be joining us. Hooray!

It's semifinals week and you KNOW we have a lot to say!

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS, Week 5: Witney Carson

I personally had more fun on this show versus any other episode we have done so far. Anna and our awesome guest, Witney Carson, did a great job of giving us more inside information than we have ever seen. From learning about Anna's time spent with Zendaya to get her ready for the Tango to Aly's mindset after hearing about the tragic Boston events earlier in the day, Witney and Anna both delivered.

The other thing that has been fun guessing is where Witney will turn up this summer. Most of you seem to think she will be a SYTYCD All-Star on Fox. It's a great guess and it makes a lot of sense.

Finally, we addressed the Zendaya "ringer" comment that has been coming up so much. We discussed it at length. You are welcome to add your thoughts in the comments below and I will definitely respond if you have more to add to the discussion.  Otherwise, I think we have exhausted the topic on the show, but let me know if you think we missed something during our debate.

Thank you all for your fan questions. We are trying to incorporate them as much as possible into the show whether it is on the red carpet, via a phone call, or from my blog, I think you all have added so much to our show.  It's really amazing!

If you missed the show, you can download it here on iTunes or watch it below.

See you next week!

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS Week 5 Preview

I know you have all been waiting for the announcement of the guests for tonight's Dancing with the Stars show on AfterBuzz TV.  This week was such a busy week for all of the dancers, so we had to wait a bit to hear back from their contact person. However, I think this is going to be a fun ladies' night. (Jake DuPree is going to be surrounded by lots of girls tonight!)

Since we will be talking about Len's Side by Side Challenge, we will have our resident expert, Anna Trebunskaya, who performed three numbers this week plus...

New troupe member Witney Carson, fresh off of last season's So You Think You Can Dance....

She's going to try and bring another familiar face with her...new pro, Victor Ortiz's partner, and fellow SYTYCD contestant, Lindsay Arnold. (Witney is confirmed, Lindsay will appear if her schedule allows.)

So don't forget to watch tonight at 9pm PT LIVE on AfterBuzz TV. Link is here.

If you have questions for Anna, Witney, or Lindsay, post them in the comments below.  This is the official place to submit questions.  

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Victor Ortiz

I'm dramatically talking about Ingo and Kym's Viennese Waltz.

Okay, what a week it was!  We started off the night with a bit of a disappointment that Sean Lowe and Peta Murgatroyd were tied up (again!) at another taping and they couldn't make it to our set. However, Victor Ortiz was in the house and he couldn't have been a better guest. We really appreciated the fact that he showed up because he came from a long day at the gym and rehearsal to join our show.

As you can see, he was a fun and lively guest who gave us some inside scoop on the personalities of the guests:  Sean is a good guy who obeys the rules, Jacoby is a jokester, and DL is serious on set.  I also appreciated Victor's honesty about his developing friendship with his pro partner Lindsay Arnold. He also dispels the dating rumor about the two. 

Oh...and how about the caller, Patty, who talked about wanting more new pros versus old pros?  I thought Anna was going to faint right there in the studio. 

Also, this is my favorite Jake DuPree moment (above) last night when he was talking about Sean's solo. Don't miss this moment.

I also posed the question at the end of the show about DWTS being about talent or improvement.  It was brought up in an article by Rebecca Martin of Wetpaint, so I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Read the article here and then post your thoughts in the comments below.

I don't have any guests to announce for next week...yet. Stay tuned on that topic.

If you want to see our group shot with Victor, head on over to my Facebook page.

Watch this week's AfterBuzz TV show for DWTS below:

AfterBuzz TV Week 4 DWTS Preview

What did you guys think of last night's DWTS show?  The competition is definitely stepping it up! Suri and I appreciate all of your comments, so we made a fun little video addressing some of your feedback from Week 3. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it below:



There is one thing I want to address that was not in the video...placement of the guests in the studio.  We have added to our panel and Jake DuPree and Anna Trebunskaya have done a tremendous job with their thoughts and opinions. It is nice to have an uncensored pro who tells it like it is and who can explain why certain things happened they way they did.  With four of us on the panel, that means our guests are on the couch.  It is set up like Howard Stern's show. Click here to see an example.

It is not a slight, it is designed to give the guests maximum exposure while we interview them and it creates a clean camera angle for the crew to shoot them.  Please understand that while we are the faces of the AfterBuzz TV show, there are many who work tirelessly behind the camera to make this show happen.  We want to make it the best show possible for all of you. If you have feedback that I cannot address or you want to take it to the executive producer level, email here: info@afterbuzztv.com

If you missed last week's show, watch it here.
California DWTS fans, click here to read about a DWTS ticket opportunity.


We will see you on Wednesday at 9pm PT on AfterBuzzTV.com
with Anna Trebunskaya, Sean Lowe, Peta Murgatroyd, and Victor Ortiz. (Reminder: Schedules announced guests are subject to change.)

Don't forget to put your questions for Peta, Sean, and Victor in the comments below. We might read your question on the air!

AfterBuzz TV, Dancing with the Stars: Week 2 with Anna Trebunskaya

My notes, gossip, and Twitter page ready for last night's show.

I want to thank everyone for joining us last night on AfterBuzz TV for Dancing with the Stars. I had a blast tweeting live with many of you at our official hashtag:  #ABTVDance.  It was interesting to see the show from a different perspective since I joined via phone from New York.

One thing I want to address is our current time slot. Many of you on the East Coast have asked about the time of our show.  This season, we are locked into a 9pm PT time slot.  This will remain a fixed time for Season 16.  I know this is late for most you on the East Coast (I know firsthand, since I was up until after 1am ET chatting with you!) We will definitely take this into consideration for next season, but I want to let you know why we are on so late:

1.  AfterBuzz TV is a full working studio with many shows scheduled before and after us.  Since Season 16 of DWTS falls mid-season, we have to take the available studio slots.

2.  The times that were available were not always convenient for our DWTS guests, so we took the best slot that would make our show more attractive for the pros and celebs to come on our show. If we schedule it too early, we cut into rehearsal time. If we schedule it on a broadcast day, we won't get anyone.

3. AfterBuzz TV actually moved around the schedule to accommodate our 9pm PT slot. Originally, it was going to be at 10pm PT...which is even worse for you East Coasters.  So, the crew and I are very grateful that they made this happen.

So, don't worry, we hear you!  We will take your comments and suggestions and use them for Season 17. In the meantime, please enjoy last night's broadcast below or download the podcast in iTunes here.