Britt Stewart and Baron Davis aren’t ready to say goodbye following their elimination from Dancing With the Stars season 34.
“I’m not happy about it at all,” Davis, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly after the results were read during the Tuesday, September 23, double elimination. (Corey Feldman and pro Jenna Johnson were also sent home on One-Hit Wonders Night.)
Stewart, 36, added that the pair were “both really shocked” they didn’t move on to week three. “I think I am always very positive and I’m always the person that will say, ‘Everything happens for a reason,’” she told Us. “I completely believe that this was cut too short.”
The twosome took on a spicy samba to “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison on Tuesday night, earning 18 points from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. Despite their brief journey on DWTS, Stewart and Davis formed a lasting bond.
“I learned that Britt is super dynamic and … I discovered the creative side, the directing side, the producing side [of her],” Davis gushed. “So, my goal to continue to go in this whole thing — and it didn’t happen — was for people to see how dynamic of a star she is. That’s not just dancing, acting, writing, directing, producing. She needs to be in everybody’s zeitgeist, because she’s a real person and she’s going to be a real superstar.”
Stewart got “emotional” while hearing her partner’s kind words. “He’s amazing,” she gushed. “This is what I’m taking away — he is a beautiful human and I’ve learned so much from him in every aspect. You can be creative, you can be sensitive, you can be a business boss, which I’m going to. … So we’re walking away with this newfound friendship, and yeah, partnership.”
While they won’t be gracing the ballroom floor again this season, fans can expect to see Stewart and Davis spending time together in the real world soon enough.
“We family now,” Davis teased. “She’s stuck with me. You can’t just teach me a couple of dances for five weeks and think you’re going to get rid of me.”
Davis said he wanted to “be a part of [Britt’s] life and her journey outside of this show” however he can, adding, “She’s got a fan [in] me.”
Before the competition kicked off on September 16, Davis admitted he felt a bit weary about joining DWTS since it was so far out of his comfort zone.
“[I] was a little hesitant,” he told Us following the season 34 cast reveal on September 3. “You go back and forth, and you’re like, you know, if you do this, you’re all in, and you’re dancing in front of people, a lot of people on TV.”
Despite his fears, the former NBA star was willing to put aside his “anxiety and nervousness” and fully commit. “I get that as an athlete, before games, before practice, and that just means that, like, I’m readying myself for something,” he said.
During week one, Stewart and Davis performed a cha-cha to MC Hammer‘s “U Can’t Touch This,” earning 10 points from Hough and Tonioli. (Inaba missed the season premiere due to illness.)
“Considering I retired 10 years ago … I’m [here] for the dads of America,” Davis joked to Us after his first performance. “I [have] the ‘Dad Bod.’ I’m working off my ‘Dad Bod.’ I’m for the dads of America, basically. They’re gonna get off their ass, just like I got off my ass.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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