“What a privilege it is to be sad when something ends, thank you so much Dancing With The Stars.” These heartfelt words from Stephen Nedoroscik’s X post on Friday marked the end of his unexpected journey, not as a contestant, but as a co-host of the Dancing With The Stars Live Tour. Can you believe the transformation? The Olympic bronze medalist who initially joined Season 33 as a nervous competitor ended up traveling the country for 108 days as the tour’s co-host. That’s what we call a plot twist! And now he has a message for his co-host!
In Emma Slater’s Instagram reel from today, co-host Stephen Nedoroscik gave fans a playful backstage tour of Dancing With The Stars—and a heartwarming goodbye to his mic partner. “You’re the best host Emma!! Gonna miss being on the mic with you!!” he commented.
The reel itself was packed with behind-the-scenes gems. Co-host Stephen took fans behind the curtain with an enthusiastic backstage tour of the DWTS set, “VIP!” Stephen exclaimed as he began the tour, immediately drawing viewers. Pointing to a prop, he continued, “Mirrorball chalk bucket. And it is totally made for a stage. Ready, watch this. The backside, they didn’t mirrorball it.”
The Olympic gymnast shared insider information with fans: “And fun fact, after Ezra does his dance, like his fierce hero dance or whatever, you’re gonna see a hand from this side of the stage just go poof real quick. So keep your eyes out.” Stephen’s tour revealed behind-the-scenes challenges: “Five different podiums. The first one, literally didn’t even see the first show, broke in the truck. We got to the point eventually, of podiums breaking to where our stage team actually built one by hand.”
Admiring the craftsmanship, he added, “So this is what they built. And originally it was just like a snowman of these disco balls. And every week, they just added a new detail that me and Emma would discover and be like, oh, look, pencils.” “Pencils! We got new lives,” Emma interjected. “Yes, exactly. Hopefully they use it next year for tour because I feel like they put way too much effort into this guy,” Stephen responded. Then Stephen Nedoroscik went on to show his gym apparatus and talk about how he uses his gymnastics skills on the dance floor. Each word he spoke reflected nostalgia and love for the experience he had on DWTS.
But now the DWTS chapter has come to an end for him.
Stephen Nedoroscik is closing his life’s important chapter
You know that feeling when something so unexpected ends up becoming one of the most memorable journeys of your life? That’s exactly what it’s been like for Stephen Nedoroscik. His time from Olympic podiums to a stage full of sequins and spotlights wasn’t exactly the route he saw coming. When Dancing with the Stars reached out to him after his bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Stephen’s first thought was, “I really have no experience.”
In fact, the only time he’d danced in public before was back at Penn State’s THON in 2017, where students danced nonstop to raise funds for pediatric cancer. That tiny spark, just a college memory filled with cheers, ended up lighting the way to something so much bigger.
He made his DWTS debut dancing the jive to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and turned heads with his Superman-style glasses reveal. Week after week, fans watched him evolve—not just as a dancer but as a performer who brought his gymnast’s grit to the ballroom floor. A Superman Paso Doble, a haunting Halloween night performance that earned him a perfect 10, and finally, a freestyle routine that literally brought a pommel horse onto the dance stage (a first in DWTS history)—Stephen made sure he went all out.
Though he placed fourth, that was never really the point. Because somewhere between the rehearsals, costume changes, and fan cheers, he found something more—friendship. His partnership with pro dancer Rylee Arnold turned into a genuine bond that went far beyond choreography counts.
And just when you thought his time under the spotlight might be winding down, Stephen signed on for Dancing with the Stars: Live! 2025. For 108 days, across 81 shows from coast to coast, he co-hosted the tour, bringing the glitz of the ballroom to fans everywhere. One of those stops? Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State, the very place where his dancing journey had quietly begun years ago. But as the curtain dropped on the final show in April 2025, Stephen took a moment to reflect. His words were raw and real:
“I am so blessed to have spent these last 108 days cohosting the Dancing With The Stars Live Tour. Thank you to everyone who made this tour possible, together you all made it so enjoyable. Thank you so much Rylee for giving me not only an amazing experience on the show, but for also being a truly great friend and dance partner throughout tour as well.”
What do you think about Stephen Nedoroscik’s time at DWTS? Let us know below!
