Dancing With the Stars’ Ginger Zee Opens Up About Battling Anorexia

Spoilers ahead!

If you had asked anyone earlier in the season who would make it to the Dancing With the Stars finals, most likely Wanya Morris would have been on that list. Going back to week one, he—along with Nyle DiMarco—was the contestant with the most natural dance ability. He had rhythm, style, and loads and loads of talent. But somehow, along the way, Wanya plateaued and never quite matched the brilliance of his earlier dances. The result? A semifinal elimination, along with partner Lindsay Arnold.

The other contestant who was eliminated, Antonio Brown, faced an opposite journey: Antonio wasn’t strong in the beginning and gave off the impression that he didn’t take the competition seriously. He showed up sometimes an hour late and gave lackluster performances on show night. But then, the switch flipped. Antonio realized he wanted this—bad. He started rehearsing before Sharna even got to the studio and applied himself in every aspect of the competition. He was still the weakest link among the final five contestants, but if you watched his final dance with Sharna tonight, you never would have known.

As we head into next week’s finals, we’re left with Nyle DiMarco, Paige VanZant, and Ginger Zee to battle it out for that gold piece of hardware. Is it the right trio? Absolutely. But who’s it going to be? Who should it be? Before we break down last night’s performances, time to get to the backstage interviews!

UPDATE: Each season, the entire DWTS cast and crew heads to nearby Mixology at the Grove to celebrate. It was there that we caught up with the final couples, as well as eliminated pair Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess. The two were scheduled to travel to New York with Wanya Morris and Lindsay Arnold for Good Morning America, but Antonio lost his I.D. When we spotted him on our way out of Mixology, he was still on the phone trying to track it down. Meanwhile, Sharna was in good spirits, especially having gone out on a high note. “The last five weeks were phenomenal for him, and the growth was amazing,” she told us. “The competitor in him sparked up!” Of course, things didn’t quite start out that way—Antonio got off to a slower start compared to the rest of the finalists. “I don’t know if I could have sparked that fire underneath him [any] earlier,” admitted Sharna. “I tried all different ways, and I tried tough love, but I think it took that switch-up week for Antonio to see what I was really capable of. He saw me go out there with Nyle and get an incredible score, and I think it made him realize he could do that too if he puts in the same amount of time. And he did.”

If Sharna’s sad about anything, it’s that she won’t get a chance to perform the freestyle she had planned with Antonio. “It was going to be beyond,” she revealed. “I literally composed a song for it—I did a symphony version to “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa that was going to be a tribute to the [Pittsburgh] Steelers.” Still, Sharna had only glowing words for the remaining finalists. “[They’re all] incredible in their own way. I can’t be bitter about going home. I’m just proud of [Antonio] for what he achieved, and it was an amazing way to go out.”

For Ginger Zee, last night was amazing for other reasons. Not only did she advance to the finals, but she opened up about a formative time in her life: her battle with anorexia as a teenager. “I think this was actually the right time [to talk about it],” admitted the GMA fan favorite to Glamour. “I believe that this [was] my triumphant moment of overcoming it. Finally.” The new mom revealed that her anorexia battle was something she was previously unable to share “because anorexia is a lot about lying to yourself and a lot about lying to other people. For a long time in my life I did that. And now I’m saying, ‘Here it is. And it’s over.’ There’s so much bright life ahead. I wish I could go back, but I can’t. The best thing I can do is just go forward.”

And forward she will go, especially with the much-anticipated freestyle next Monday night. “It’s going to be over-the-top, and the best thing anybody has ever seen!” boasted her enthusiastic partner Val. In the meantime, Ginger was just grateful to have a freestyle to be a part of. “This is a very happy surprise to be here,” she told fellow journalists. “I would have never have thought.”

On the other hand, America’s Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco has pretty much been a sure thing since week one. And because of that, his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, was feeling pretty confident heading into next week’s finals. “I feel he’s the last man standing for a reason,” noted Peta. “He’s taken risks and inspired us every single week. To have a contestant like Nyle who has consistently brought new flavors to ever single dance and new heights to what he can achieve—that’s what people want to see.”

People also like to see a contestant go far if they don’t have previous dance experience. We know Paige does (more on that in a second)—as well as Ginger—but what about Nyle? “None, not at all,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ve never had any dance experience, which makes me a little nervous that [Paige and Ginger] have a little advantage over me. I don’t know. We just have to bring that out [next] week.”

Speaking of next week, usually there’s an elimination on the Monday of finale week, but not this time. “Yeah, no elimination,” revealed Peta. If that’s the case, then all three contestants will battle it out for the Mirrorball trophy on Tuesday night.

But let’s get back to the topic of previous dance experience. Remaining finalist Paige VanZant admitted in her rehearsal package that her mom was a dance teacher, “so [growing up around dance] was something that I was just born into.” She went on to add that she danced “all the way up until high school,” before trying out and making the varsity cheerleading team. So does that give her an unfair advantage? “No,” said Paige, before partner Mark Ballas explained why it should be a moot point. “I feel like there’s [other] people here that have dance experience,” he said. “This is Dancing With the Stars and not Dancing With the Stars Who Have Never Taken a Dance Class in Their Life. It’s virtually impossible to find 12 people in the public eye—whether it’s an athlete, entertainer, singer, actor, performer, etc.—who have never taken a dance class. [Paige] took jazz when she was a kid. She has zero ballroom experience, never danced with a partner. Her mom was a dance teacher, and that’s life. A lot of people have danced [in life], but [the DWTS competition] is a whole other animal. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Dance ability aside, the most stunning aspect of Paige’s performance this season has been her emotional growth. Viewers knew Paige had a rough few high school years, but very few knew the degree of how much that bullying impacted her. “It was really hard to open up,” admitted Paige of last night’s rehearsal package. “I never have before [in that way]. It wasn’t easy for me, but at this point I want to share. I feel like I’m slowly finding myself and able to share my story.” So how did it feel having been so honest in front of millions? “It felt really good. It was a big step for myself.” Looking back though, is there anything Paige wishes she could have told herself in week one? “Oh gosh, just to let myself go. The last few weeks I feel like I’ve really just let myself go and really just let myself out there, and it feels really good.”

Other Backstage Tidbits: Also making the rounds at the after-party were reigning DWTS champion Bindi Irwin, and her mom, Terri, and brother, Robert. “It’s really cool because now we get to sit back and enjoy,” said Robert. “It’s been a real privilege to be able to see this season.” So would Robert ever want to follow in his sister’s footsteps and compete on the show? “Yeah!” exclaimed the 12-year-old. “That would certainly be an adventure! I’ve had so much fun supporting Bindi, so who knows. It would be a lot of fun!” And what does big sister Bindi think about that? “I have faith! He already has a lot of moves!”

While Bindi won’t reveal who she’s rooting for in the finals, she did admit that it was quite an honor when Tom Bergeron compared Ginger Zee to Bindi earlier in the season. “Ginger is so kind and such a beautiful individual. When you watch her dance, you feel good. The way she embraces the movement and the music, you can see that, and you can feel that watching her. I really admire her, so it’s a great honor to be compared to Ginger Zee!”

And in case you’re wondering why the Irwins have been spending so much time in Los Angeles lately, it’s because of the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner being held in downtown L.A. this weekend. “We’re raising funds for Wildlife Warriors, helping wildlife projects around the world,” said Terri. “So many of our Dancing With the Stars family will be there. Derek [Hough] is coming, as well as Val [and] Sasha [Farber]. Tom Bergeron is hosting with Olivia Newton-John, and Mark Ballas and B.C. Jean are performing. We’re auctioning off an autographed Taylor Swift guitar, as well as one of Bindi’s dresses from [DWTS].” For more information, click here.

Now, in case you missed last night’s dances, here’s our breakdown!

Trio Dances:

Paige VanZant, Mark Ballas, and Alan Bersten: Another phenomenal jungle routine from the brilliant Ballas, who choreographs like no other. Did anyone else get flashbacks to Olympian Shawn Johnson as they watched Paige? This girl can do no wrong. Score: 30/30 (Update: When we later brought up the Shawn/Paige comparison to Mark, he agreed. “They are both powerhouses, both athletes, and they both work very, very hard, so yeah.”)

__Antonio Brown, Sharna Burgess, and Hayley Erbert __: It was a beautiful Argentine tango—suave and sharp—but I can’t help but think I’m watching a robot in action. Maybe it’s the fact that Antonio barely blinks or that sometimes I feel I’m watching a paint-by-numbers routine—but still, he’s the contestant that has come the furthest and that’s what this competition is about. Score: 27/30

Wanya Morris, Lindsay Arnold, and Witney Carson: Attack of the Wanya! The Boyz II Men singer was clearly on a mission to slay his trio dance after last week’s mistake-filled Western routine. The verdict? He delivered in full force. Score: 30/30

Nyle DiMarco, Peta Murgatroyd, and Jenna Johnson: Who needs to wait for the CW’s new Riverdale series when we had the live action version tonight with Archie (Nyle), Betty (Peta), and Veronica (Jenna) in Pop’s Diner. It was a hectic—and at times uneven—jive, but also one of the most enjoyable. Score: 27/30

Ginger Zee, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Artem Chigvintsev: Carrie Ann Inaba said that Ginger lost her balance a few times, while Len Goodman said the routine got a bit stormy in places, but no one can deny how far Ginger has come. Not only has her technique improved, but she’s no longer just the smiley, cutesy contestant on the show. Score: 27/30

The “Regular” Dances:

Paige and Mark: Whoa, Paige! But first, let’s talk about her rehearsal package. The UFC firefighter basically said she was a dancer up until high school, which could hurt her if she makes it into the finals. It’s one thing to be an Olympic athlete, but another to be a trained dancer. Still, it’s not Paige’s technical ability that should impress us; it’s the fact that she’s come so far emotionally that blows us away. Score: 29/30

Antonio and Sharna: I kind of wish we had been able to see Antonio’s rehearsal package at the start of the season rather than a week before. We learned things about Antonio that made him more relatable than he seemed at any other point this season. And just as luck would have it, Antonio went on to give us his best dance of the season. It was breathtaking, beautiful, and dare we say it? Boomin’. Score: 28/30

Wanya and Lindsay: Wanya’s Charleston harked back to his week-one dance, where his footwork couldn’t be beat. Score: 30/30

Nyle and Peta: Blindfolded and unable to hear music? America, meet your season 22 Mirrorball champion. Score: 30/30

Ginger and Val: In one of the more surprising rehearsal packages of the night, Ginger reveals that from the age of 10-14, she battled anorexia following her parents divorce. It’s an extremely candid and honest moment from GMA‘s always positive meteorologist. As for the dance itself, it was a relatively “simple” quickstep, but only remarkable dancers can make a quickstep look simple. Score: 29/30

Stay tuned for all the backstage interviews tomorrow morning in this same article.