Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft says she was thrilled with her performance on
Monday's Dancing With the Stars premiere, even though she only had three days to rehearse.
"Unbelievable, surreal -- all those emotions," she told Usmagazine.com after the show. "I never expected, after what just happened, that I would be standing here right now. I got the call on Friday around lunchtime and was on a plane literally seven hours later, and now we are here!"
See funny photos of the new DWTS cast rehearsing (Steve-O puts a bike on his nose)"Feeling the support from the audience the second we stepped out, I was like, 'This feels so good!'" added the reality star, who replaced an injured Nancy O'Dell.
Rycroft and partner Tony Dovolani earned a 23 out of 30 for their waltz. Judge Bruno Tonioli -- who called her "a revelation" -- said, "I don't know the Bachelor guy, but he's a loser." The crowed booed at the Jason Mesnick reference.
See which Bachelor couples are still togetherHow did Rycroft do it, with just three days to rehearse?
She benefited from studying ballet as a child, said Dovolani.
"I took what assets she had, those elements, and created a waltz around it," he told Us. "We kind of faked it through! We really had no technique, like Len said. We had no time!
See more controversial reality show momentsAdded Rycroft, "I came in, and we instantly started a friendship and beganhaving fun and that made this experience so much better."
Another last-minute replacement, Holly Madison (who filled in for Jewel), admitted she "definitely messed up" her cha cha cha. (She got on an 18 out of 30.)
"But I had fun with it, and so that part was great," she told Us.
Added partner Dimitry Chaplin, "Even though some of the judges' comments were bad today, I thought we did good. The people at home probably don't know how much it is to only have less than a week to perform -- it's crazy!"
He told Us Madison needs to have better "concentration." Madison added that Chaplin is "a very good teacher; he makes me keep working."
Gilles Marini - known for appearing in the buff in the Sex and the City movie - and partner Cheryl Burke said they were surprised to receive the night's top score of 24 for their cha cha cha.
"I told him get prepared to see three 7s," Burke told Us.
See the wackiest DWTS outfits of all timeMarini said having his son, Georges, 8, in the audience helped. "In the end, he came to me and hugged me in a very special way," he told Us. "I felt like I was about to cry! "
Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas also nabbed a top score of 23 for their waltz.
"I felt great!" said Johnson, 17, the show's youngest competitor ever. "I really wanted to get out there, take the nerves away, have fun and really make my partner proud! I wanted to do the dances, and I felt like I did amazing."
Not everyone fared so well on the show, however.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff came in last place with a score of 13 for their cha cha cha. Tonioli said Wozniak was "like watching a Teletubby go mad!"
Smirnoff said she didn't mind the critique: "We are here having fun, and honestly we hope that comes through. That's all we care about!"
Next week will be ever more entertaining, Wozniak said.
Smirnoff "wants me to style my hair differently -- in a 1950s style!" he told Us.
"I have come to trust her so much that I would even do it!" he added. "I trust her immensely!"
