‘DWTS’ finalist Stephen Nedoroscik reflects on that pommel horse decision, and the upside of being driven everywhere

Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and his professional dance partner, Rylee Arnold, might not have taken home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy at the end of Dancing With the Stars season 33 — as the oh-so prestigious prize went to former Bachelor Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson instead — but they certainly stole the hearts of individuals all across America. After all, they might just be the most wholesome couple the show has ever seen!

For those who need a refresher, on the heels of earning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics — and becoming a major meme along the way — Stephen signed onto Dancing With the Stars season 33, becoming the first member of the cast t0 be announced. Later on, it was announced that his partner would be Rylee, and with their smiley, fun-loving personalities, the pairing could not have been more perfect.

The DWTS duo had a great deal of success on the show — despite some musicality issues on Stephen’s side — earning some impressive scores and securing their spot in the finale yesterday (Nov. 27).

For those who are unfamiliar, said scores are as follows:

• DWTS Premiere — Jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, (21/30)
• “Oscars Night” — Paso Doble to “Superman (Main Theme)” from Superman (22/30)
• “Soul Train Night” — Quickstep to “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder (30/40)
• “Hair Metal Night” — Foxtrot to “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake (32/40)
• “Dedication Night” — Argentine Tango to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes (33/40)
• “Disney Night” — Charleston to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules (24/30)
• “Halloween Nightmares Night” — Contemporary to “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Hidden Citizens (28/30)
• DWTS 500th Episode — Viennese Waltz to “Glimpse Of Us” by Joji (29/30)
• DWTS Semi-Final — Cha-Cha to “Bailar” by Deorro and Elvis Crespo (25/30) and Tango to “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap (28/30)
• DWTS Finale — Quickstep to “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts (29/30) and Freestyle to “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay (30/30)

Despite securing a fourth-place finish — only beating finalists Danny Amendola and Witney Carson — Stephen and Rylee’s freestyle routine was arguably the most iconic of the evening, combining Dancing With the Stars with his profession: gymnastics (specifically pommel horse). He even brought some of his teammates into the ballroom to serve as background dancers!

Their top-notch performance is as follows:

Shortly after the show, Stephen and Rylee spoke to Access Hollywood about their legendary freestyle routine, as well as their partnership as a whole.

Here’s what the pair had to say:

When asked about the decision to incorporate the pommel horse into their performance, Stephen gushed, “I mean it was really fun, and I was just like playing around choreographing on the pommel horse, and not really doing gymnastics on it, but dancing on it. It was really, really cool, I think, to see that.”

To follow, the pair discussed how much they are going to miss one another, specifically driving to rehearsal together each and every day:

Stephen: “I think at the end of the day I’m just gonna miss like our conversations. We just talk about anything and everything, and it’s just really fun.”

Rylee: “Yeah, it’s so fun. I’m gonna miss our drives a lot.”

Both embarking on the 2025 Dancing With the Stars Live Tour shortly, this will not be the end of Stephen and Rylee. Here’s to crossing our fingers for even more top-notch performances (and TikTok videos) to come!