CLEVELAND — Canton native Amanda Kloots has been at the top of the “Dancing with the Stars” leaderboard since Week 1, and she says being a part of this year’s cast is a dream come true.
“I would watch it in my living room with my mom, my dad, my family, whoever was home,” said Kloots. “It feels like I won the lottery.”
The former Radio City Rockette and Broadway dancer said being in the ballroom is one of the hardest things she’s ever done dance-wise.
But for the past 7 weeks, she’s been proving to be a true contender for the Mirrorball trophy, and her Halloween performance almost scared up a near-perfect score.
The talk show host, New York Times bestselling author and fitness entrepreneur, who many might remember from her time documenting her late husband Nick Cordero’s battle with COVID-19, credits her fans in Northeast Ohio for getting her this far in the competition.
“I just want to say everybody who watches and votes, thank you so much,” said Kloots. “It’s because of you that I’m still on this show every week.”
But Kloots said her time on the show is more than just competing for the champion title.
“I’m able to kind of be myself again. Be that person I knew a long time ago that went away when I started my own business, became a mom, moved to Los Angeles and went through everything with Nick,” said Kloots. “It’s been so wonderful and healing and incredibly challenging.”
Kloots also says the show’s cast is a tight-knit group, and she knew where she would take them if they made the trip to Northeast Ohio.
Her list included a ballgame at Progressive field, a stop at the Flats beforehand, and maybe some Mitchell’s ice cream.
You can catch “Dancing with the Stars” right here on News 5 at 8 p.m. on Mondays. Voting opens when the show starts.
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