One of the last to arrive on the orange carpet at the 22nd Annual Race to Erase MS Gala this weekend, Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson barely posed for photographers. That's because they were too captivated by one another and their insane chemistry to notice anything else around them. When a publicist pulled Kym away for some solo shots, Robert looked at her adoringly, taking pictures with a personal camera phone as he admired his Dancing With the Stars instructor and rumored love interest. We've been through these "showmances" before, but there's no denying that what's going on with Robert and Kym looks like the real deal.
Before I spotted the Shark Tank judge and DWTS pro getting cozy inside the gala, I chatted with them on the carpet, and Robert admitted (or let slip) some rather amazing personal details—he's taking Kym on an exotic vacation!
What prompted Robert to reveal such personal information? We have an Instagram fan account to thank. It all started last Tuesday night when I interviewed Robert and Kym at the DWTS 10th Anniversary Party and told them fans wanted to "ship" them (a.k.a. to see them in a relationship). One of the cutest moments occurred when a clearly confused Robert responded, "Where are they shipping us to?" The @abcsdancingwiththestars account screen-captured the moment and very tongue-in-cheek captioned it, "Hawaii, Robert. We're shipping you to Hawaii."
I showed the photo to them ("That's so funny!" replied Kym), which prompted Robert to declare that he'd like to go to Hawaii. Kym responded that she'd like to ship to Hawaii, and I said they definitely should go. Then Robert, with the bombshell of the night, replied, "We're going somewhere else."
You guys realize what he just revealed? Not that he wants to go on a trip with Kym, but he's already planned it or is in the midst of planning it. So where is he planning to take her? "Well, it's a surprise," he said discreetly. "Kym's never been there. Did I just give it away?" The conversation quickly turned to whether that meant Kym wasn't going to get a car (that Robert promised her if they won DWTS), but apparently that's still on the table too. First, Team Sharkaroo has to make it through Monday night's elimination, which originally was supposed to be Tuesday before ABC moved up the 10th Anniversary Special. If you ask Robert, he's not that concerned. "I predict if we get through Monday, which I think we will, we're going to the finals." Kym's reaction? "I love it. Let's put it out there!" So why is Robert so confident? Well, it's their chance to perform the Argentine tango—one of the sexiest dances you can do. And based on what Robert and Kym have prepared for us tonight, let's just say they didn't have to work on the romance factor. ("I think our Argentine tango is going to break the Internet. It's so sexy.")
In other DWTS news, former pros Karina Smirnoff and Anna Trebunskaya returned for the special tomorrow night, so why wasn't Cheryl Burke there with them? At the Race to Erase MS Gala, Cheryl was honest and explained that politics came into play. "Now that I'm part of the NBC family (with her new show, I Can Do That, premiering May 26), unfortunately I wasn't there. It was hard to take because I wanted to be there," she said. "At the end of the day, I made a decision to move on, but they're still my family and there's no hard feelings."
Cheryl went on to add that she's proud of the new show, which definitely took her out of her comfort zone. "It's just so fun to be able to do something different, and we're all in our vulnerable state. Normally I'm the one teaching, but now they're teaching me, and you have such great challenges, like [working with] the Harlem Globetrotters, the Blue Man Group, etc. You'll see a different side that no one has ever seen before."
And just because Cheryl has moved on from DWTS, it doesn't mean that she's left her most valuable relationships behind. On the carpet, Cheryl beamed as she reunited with fellow pros Tony Dovolani, Val Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson, and others. As for former celeb partner, Jack Osbourne? Cheryl told me, "Jack has been one of my favorite partners on the show. [His wife] Lisa and I have girl night, but we really try to get together a lot. These relationships I'll cherish forever."
In fact, it was because of Jack Osbourne that Val Chmerkovskiy wanted to be in attendance at the Race to Erase MS Gala. "The first time I heard of MS was when Jack Osbourne was on the show," Val revealed. "I wasn't familiar with it at all, and I realized how disastrous it is. It seems ridiculous that a disease like that is still rampant in our society. If I can help by attending, I'm happy to do so."
Val had just flown back from New York City with partner Rumer Willis, which is why he wasn't able to attend last Tuesday's DWTS 10th Anniversary party. If he had, I would have asked him about his sexy performance with Kelly Monaco, which you'll see tomorrow night. If you guys thought his performance with Rumer to "Bootylicious" was raunchy last week, then you haven't seen anything yet. I don't want to give away too much, but Val admitted that he was uncertain about reuniting with his All-Stars season partner, though it has nothing to do with his friendship with Kelly. "I hesitated at first because this season is about me and Rumer, but me and Kelly were a notable couple. [Tomorrow's] number [is] fun, silly, expressive, passionate, and it kind of summed up my season with Kelly Monaco."
A lot of DWTS pros and celebs attend the Race to Erase MS Gala each year, and much of it has to do with Tony Dovolani. "This was my first event when I came to Hollywood nine years ago," Tony revealed. "I got so impressed and overwhelmed by it that I said I'd come every year. I performed onstage that first year too. Nancy Davis [Race to Erase MS founder] has worked tirelessly to find a cure." Tony will reunite with his DWTS All-Stars partner Melissa Rycroft (who is also hosting the DWTS Tour all summer!) for the Anniversary Special, and obviously winning the Mirrorball trophy with her is still the highlight of his time on the show. "It was the [most] emotional win of DWTS period. You saw the reaction of the crew and the dancers, and I didn't even get to the trophy until we celebrated already. That's never happened before. I was on Val and Mak's shoulders before the trophy was ever handed to me. In fact, when Maks and Meryl won, I said, 'Maks, this is just like me!' and he said, 'No, there will never be another one like you.' And I went, 'OK, that's fair to say.'" [Laughs]
So who was the partner that Tony had the most difficult time connecting with? "Ooh, that's an interesting question," Tony replied. "Obviously, with Kate [Gosselin] it was a little bit difficult, but I don't fault her because she's a great mom. That's the one thing most people don't know about her. She's a great mom. She had so much going on in her life that I thought Dancing was maybe a little bit too much for her."
Never being one to shy away from a tough question (and one of the reasons why I think Tony would make a great judge if Len Goodman decides to retire down the road), I also asked Tony why it seems everyone has already declared Rumer and Val the obvious winners of season 20, when Riker Lynch and Nastia Liukin are just as good. "Well, Val's been there so many years in a row and is always coming in third. I think it's his due. I think this show should be about spreading the wealth anyway. [And] Rumer has shown such a great curve of learning how to dance that she deserves it."
Tony also spoke about his fellow colleague, Derek Hough and his recent injury. "He's a trooper. My opinion is that Derek should take time off, because anything that doesn't heal properly will hinder you for the rest of your life." Sound advice, but hard for someone like Derek to follow. Laughed Tony, "True! We're [stubborn] people!"
The event—now it's in 22nd year—raised over $1.7 million to benefit the Race to Erase MS and its Center Without Walls program, a collaboration of top MS research centers working together on ground-breaking research to treat and ultimately cure MS. The gala featured live musical performances by Ne-Yo, Rita Ora, and Matty B. Fashion Icon Tommy Hilfiger (whose sister has suffered from MS for the past 25 years) was presented with the Race to Erase MS "Medal of Hope" award. The evening was generously sponsored by Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Associated Television International, Aston Martin, and Alex & Ani. For more information on how you can support the Race to Erase MS, visit the official website here.
(from left) Kelly Osbourne, Kathy Hilton, Race to Erase MS founder Nancy Davis, and Sharon Osbourne.
What piece of DWTS news are you most surprised about? Stay tuned for coverage from tonight's live show immediately following the telecast, and then stay tuned for our behind-the-scenes coverage of the 10th Anniversary Show immediately after it airs on Tuesday night!
