Jimmie Allen made Country music proud last night as he graced the ballroom floor for the debut of ABC’s 30th season of Dancing with the Stars.
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Jimmie’s larger-than-life personality was on full-display as he connected with fans during the hours leading up to the premiere via Instagram. The “Best Shot” singer could be seen modeling his metallic black costume, which he joked made him look like a “trash bag” as he ate donuts and interacted with and encouraged other contestants to prepare for his big debut.
When showtime came, the 36-year-old took to the dance floor with his professional partner, Emma Slater, for a well-rehearsed Tango to “The Way I Are” by Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. Jimmie and Emma have nicknamed their partnership “JEMMA” as they encourage viewers to vote. Allen expressed his excitement to be paired with Slater sharing “her personality makes mine look normal.”
Jimmie received positive overall feedback from the judges, who agreed he has great potential.
“You’re going to go a long way. You’ve got great potential,” said head judge, Len Goodman. “You're a cool sort of a guy.”
Derek Hough chimed in saying Allen’s performance “Was amazing” while also complimenting his form. “That was an incredible week-one frame, honestly. The one thing I would just say is just keeping consistent… You know you can do it, you just got to be a little more consistent but great, great tango, brother. Great job!”
While his score of 22 out of 40 didn’t necessarily reflect the potential he has, Jimmie was proud of dancing his best despite first-time jitters.
“I’ve sung on television before, but to dance on national television, it was a whole different thing," he expressed, following his performaance. "It’s a cool experience and we’re glad to be here.”
Allen joins a long list of Country stars who have competed open the show including Lauren Alaina, Wynonna Judd, Chuck Wicks, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jana Kramer, Kellie Pickler and more.
Check out the full list of celebrities competing this season along with their professional partners below:
Mel C. (Spice Girls) and Gleb Savchenko
Mike “The Miz” Mizanin (WWE) and Witney Carson
Iman Shumpert (NBA) and Daniella Karagach
Olivia Jade Giannulli (influencer)and Val Chmerkovskiy
Jimmie Allen (Country Star) and Emma Slater
Melora Hardin (actress) and Artem Chigvintsey
Suni Lee (Olympian) and Sasha Farber
Akanda Kloots (TV personality) and Alan Bersten
Martin Kave (actor) and Britt Stewart
Kenya Moore (Real Housewives of Atlanta) and Brandon Armstrong
Christine Chiu (Reality star) and Pasha Pashkov
Cody Rigsby (Fitness instructor) and Cheryl Burke
Brian Austin Green (actor) and Sharna Burgess
JoJo Siwa (Entertainer/YouTube star) and Jenna Johnson
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