Melissa Rycroft surprised herself by ‘Dancing’

LOS ANGELES - Melissa Rycroft wowed the judges on Monday’s season premiere of “Dancing With the Stars.”

But the “Bachelor” star said after the show she never intended to jump back into reality TV.

“You said you weren’t going to do reality TV again and now, here you are. What changed your mind?” Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell asked Rycroft.

“Well, I didn’t approach this. It came to me and it came to me at a time where I went, ‘Well, maybe this is why that happened to me?’” Rycroft noted. “I don’t plan on making a career out of this. I promise!”

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, it was Rycroft who replaced O'Dell in the “Dancing” lineup after a severe knee injury sidelined the Access host.

So while most of the contestants had weeks to get ready for Monday’s debut, Rycroft and partner Tony Dovolani had less than 48 hours. But the lack of rehearsal time didn’t seem to affect the duo’s performance, as they netted a 23 out of 30 from the judges.

“You were so good!” O'Dell  told Rycroft. “It took me two weeks to do that!”

“I’m pretty shocked too,” Rycroft admitted. “When I look back, what we did starting at point zero to get to where we were tonight, it’s pretty cool.”

When Rycroft was announced as Nancy’s replacement over the weekend, some suggested an unfair advantage due to the reality star’s former dancing training as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, as well as ballet experience.

However, as Rycroft pointed out, ballet and ballroom are two very different things.

“I’m not the first one that’s ever had a dance background on here before,” she noted. “I’ve danced before, but it’s totally [different]… When I’m explaining it to people, I say, ‘You can take the best baseball pitcher in the world and it doesn’t mean he can throw a football accurately.’ That’s how I feel… So while I’ve danced, I’ve never danced like this. I’m learning along with everybody else.”

And while the waltz Dovolani and Rycroft performed on Monday night was largely the same one Dovolani had choreographed for O'Dell, Rycroft also got to wear Nancy’s “Dancing” gown — something not lost on O'Dell , who watched the show from the audience.

“I hate to say this, Melissa, but I was kind of like the jilted girlfriend. I know what you felt like!” O'Dell joked, referencing Rycroft’s “Bachelor” ordeal.

“That was me last Monday,” Rycroft laughed.

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