Geraldo Rivera had "so much more to offer" 'Dancing with the Stars,' says pro partner Edyta Sliwinska

Geraldo Rivera and Edyta Sliwinska were the first couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, and the pro dancer can't help but be disappointed.


"I'm sad because I think Geraldo has so much more to offer the show," Sliwinska said during a Tuesday appearance on Good Morning America.

"And he would be such a great addition for the next week when we do [each celebrity's] 'Most Memorable [Year].' So, I'm sad about that."

Rivera's young daughter was also upset about her dad's ouster at the end of Monday night's episode.

"When we were eliminated, my 10-year-old was in the audience with her mom... [She] started sobbing and the one person who could console her was Von Miller, the Super Bowl MVP. This gigantic man came walking over and she calmed down immediately. It was a touching thing," he revealed.


Although Rivera's time on Dancing with the Stars was cut short, he still apparently had a great time.

"It was a lot of fun. I wish I could dance better, mainly for Edyta," Rivera said on GMA. "She's the most superb dancer. She deserved a much better partner, a much more skilled partner. She's so patient and so, so charismatic and wonderfully supportive."

Sliwinska returned to DWTS after taking 11 seasons off, which ended up being more than five years.

"I'm so glad to be back. It was wonderful," the brunette beauty insisted of Dancing with the Stars.

"It was a bit like riding a bike. Once you learn how to do it, you never forget. And the show has just improved. It has gotten better and bigger. I am sad we left, I am really sad, but it was such an amazing treat for me to get to know this person."


Rivera also explained where the idea for his Donald Trump-inspired salsa routine came from last night.

"Well, we had the idea because [Edyta] makes a smashing [Melania Trump], doesn't she?" Rivera said, referring to the political candidate's wife.

"And, you know, I've known Donald forever. [Talk] was all about the wives in the last week. It went from body parts to whose wife is hotter. And as we got closer to the show, the idea evolved to kind of spoof that, to bring it down to earth and deflate that as a political issue."

Dancing with the Stars' 22nd season is only two weeks in, but Rivera and Sliwinska are already making predictions on which celebrity and professional pairings could make it to the finals.

"There are a lot of great couples," Sliwinska said. "My pick would be [Boyz II Men member Wanya Morris] and [America's Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco]. And obviously [GMA meteorologist Ginger Zee]. I'm rooting for her as a fellow mom. She's wonderful. But Wanya and Nyle are doing such a wonderful job, it's tough not to support them."


"The buzz for Nyle in that crowd was pretty intense," Rivera noted with a laugh. "I mean, I don't know how he does it. I don't know how I did it with a knee replacement and bad foot, but at least I can hear the music! So if I had two good feet, it wouldn't have made much of a difference."

"And [UFC fighter Paige VanZant] is great too! Amazing," Rivera added.

"She had such a great night last night, and poor [Mark Ballas]!" Sliwinska said, referencing how Ballas injured his back during rehearsal and so DWTS Troupe member Alan Bersten had to fill in.

Rivera and Sliwinska landed in twelfth -- and last -- place on the judges' leaderboard Monday night after receiving only 13 out of 30 points from Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski