Priscilla Presley just gave a very candid postgame on her time in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom, and it is not the glossy, sequined version the show sells. Short version: she was over it, fast.
"I could not wait to get kicked off that show."
Presley, 80, said it during a speaking gig in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 2, and then unpacked why the experience rattled her more than it thrilled her.
What she says went down
Back in 2008, season 6, Presley was paired with pro Louis van Amstel. They finished eighth. According to her, she was constantly nervous, and not because of the paso doble. She says van Amstel had just started seeing someone new and was eager to get home to that relationship each day. The result, she claims: they rehearsed about three hours a day while other couples were reportedly clocking closer to six.
That time gap may not sound massive on paper, but on a show where people learn full routines in a week, it is everything. Presley says the priorities felt lopsided, which frustrated her because she actually wanted to grind and improve.
For what it is worth, she also admits she was signing up for a stretch: she liked dancing but did not know it well, and figured the challenge would be fun, even if it was nerve-wracking.
The quick backstory
- Season: DWTS season 6 (2008)
- Pairing: Priscilla Presley with Louis van Amstel
- Finish: 8th place
- Her claim: rehearsals capped around 3 hours a day vs. other pairs doing about 6
- Her read on it: van Amstel prioritized a new relationship and wanted to head home early for dates
- Status check: van Amstel has not publicly responded to her comments; Us Weekly says they reached out
Where Louis is now
Van Amstel, 53, is one of the show’s original pros. He returned off and on over the years and exited as a regular after season 31 in 2022. He came back last fall for the show’s 20th anniversary special to do a routine. He married his husband, Joshua Lancaster, in 2017 after eight years together.
In November 2025, he told Us there was no hesitation about saying yes to the anniversary, echoing how quickly he joined the franchise at the start. He even spoke glowingly about Presley in that same window, saying she is the celeb partner he sees most when he is in Los Angeles and praising her character. So, clearly, there are two very different lenses on that season depending on who you ask and when you ask them.
His favorite run was not season 6
For van Amstel, the peak was season 9 with Kelly Osbourne, who made the 2009 finale. He has called that arc a life-changer for both of them, with her physical transformation secondary to the bigger personal growth he says fans watched happen week to week.
The takeaway
Presley’s version of events is one of those unglamorous nuts-and-bolts details that can quietly decide how far a couple goes on DWTS. If you believe her, they were working with half the rehearsal time and a partner distracted by a new romance. If you believe him (or at least his more recent comments), they are on good terms, and he looks back fondly. Both things can be true: relationships evolve, memories soften, and a competition show still runs on hours in the studio. Presley just made the math public.