‘OH THEY ARE ABOUT TO EAT’: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ fans go bananas over one pair, proving to be early frontrunners for the Mirrorball Trophy

He might have been the first cast member — announced prior to the official cast reveal on Good Morning America yesterday (September 4) — but fans are confident that Stephen Nedoroscik and his professional dance partner, Rylee Arnold, will take home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing With the Stars season 33.

For those who are unfamiliar with Stephen, his official biography for Dancing With the Stars is as follows, detailing his achievements in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics thus far:

“Stephen Nedoroscik, more popularly known as the ‘pommel horse guy,’ is a distinguished American gymnast. At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, he captured America’s heart by helping the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team secure their first team medal (bronze) in 16 years. He also won an individual bronze medal on the pommel horse. Beyond his athletic achievements, Nedoroscik is a passionate advocate for men’s gymnastics and works to raise awareness for the sport. He is also dedicated to supporting individuals with low vision, using his platform to promote inclusivity and accessibility in the gymnastics community and beyond.”

Aside from his athleticism alone, Stephen also stole the hearts of individuals all across the globe, becoming a world-renowned meme at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Earning nicknames like “The Specialist” and, of course, “Pommel Horse Guy,” the two-time bronze medalist became a victim of numerous Clark Kent comparisons, due to his tendency to take off his glasses before his pommel horse performances, ultimately drawing similarities to Kent’s transformation into Superman.

While viewers were already thrilled to have Stephen on the show, fans caused an uproar via social media when Rylee was announced as his partner — as she is one of the most popular, beloved pros — taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their enthusiasm. Some went so far as to deem Stephen and Rylee as the future winners of the show, and we seriously could not agree more:

Others took a different approach, making predictions as to what exactly Stephen and Rylee’s dances will entail. One X user even proposed that the pair should be Peter Pan and Wendy for Disney Night:

If Stephen and Rylee make it to Disney Night on Dancing With the Stars, it is safe to say that we will be making a phone call to ABC to propose this stellar suggestion. It’s just too good…

Dancing With the Stars season 33 cast

While we are confident Stephen and Rylee are a shoo-in for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, the other 12 couples who will be giving them a run for their money are as follows:

• Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
• Anna Delvey and Ezra Sosa
• Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson
• Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach
• Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten
• Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko
• Eric Roberts and Britt Stewart
• Tori Spelling and Pasha Pashkov
• Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater
• Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy
• Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong
• Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber

To find out whether or not our winner pick is correct, tune into Dancing With the Stars season 33 this fall, beginning September 17 at 8pm ET/PT via ABC and Disney Plus. Stephen and Rylee, we are counting on you!