Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd Plot Against Maks Chmerkovskiy, Talk Smack & Impress Judges in First 'DWTS' Dance
Just weeks after his season of The Bachelor came to an end, Nick Viall is back on TV, competing on Dancing With the Stars -- and it sounds like he really wants to win.
The reality TV star was ready to roll on Monday's premiere, and he has a partner that could help him go all the way: Peta Murgatroyd. The new mom is returning to DWTS for season 24 after taking last season off to give birth to her son, Shai, with fellow pro Maks Chmerkovskiy.
In the pre-taped package before their first dance together, Viall opened up about his expectations for the season, and why he's excited to compete.
"I think this will be fun. There's no pressure of finding love, just not sucking," Viall joked.
The Bachelor star seemed pretty confident about his dance skills, and started talking trash before they'd even really rehearsed.
"Watch out Mr. T," Viall joked, before turning his attention to singer Normani Kordei. "We want Fourth Harmony to shaking in her knees."
He also set his sights on Murgatroyd's fiancé -- who also returned to the show after a season-long hiatus -- and his partner, Glee's Heather Morris.
"It's going to really suck for her when we get a higher score," Viall said, before back-pedaling a bit. "I should probably stop talking smack until I get, like, some steps down."
However, Murgatroyd has some high hopes for Viall (sort of), predicting, "You'll be the best Bachelor that's ever been on the show."
"Well, I'm looking to aim higher than that," Viall joked.
When it was time to hit the dance floor, Viall and Murgatroyd performed a stylish, pop-focused cha cha to Justin Bieber's "Let Me Love You," and it seems that the four-time Bachelor Nation star might end up performing quite a bit better than even he expected.
While judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Julianne Hough and Bruno Tonioli all praised the routine as a great first dance, they weren't without their share of constructive criticism -- like the need for Viall to slow down, focus on his footwork and figure out how to better use his hands during his dances.
Ultimately, the pair earned sixes across the board for a total of 24 out of 40, putting them in the upper half of the night's final scores. But with no one getting eliminated this week, Viall will get another chance to show off his skills next week.
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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