Celebrity News October 16, 2023
Tony Dovolani Remembers ‘DWTS’ Partner Suzanne Somers as ‘Beautiful Light’ (Exclusive)
Hollywood is mourning the loss of Suzanne Somers, including her “Dancing with the Stars” pro partner Tony Dovolani.
Suzanne was known for her work on TV and as a self-help guru and entrepreneur, but she also took to the ballroom with pro Dovolani on Season 20 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
“Extra” spoke with Tony, who remembered Somers as a “joy to be around.”
“I feel so bad because I got to know her really well during ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” he said. “I have all her books… Every time you saw her, she put a smile on your face. Every time you were around her, she made you feel good about yourself. She was just a joy to be around. We really did lose a beautiful light… It really did sadden me.”
Tony spent time with Suzanne and her husband Alan Hamel at their home in Palm Springs.
“I feel like saying these two were in love is an understatement — they worshiped each other,” Dovolani said. “They were inseparable… When they looked at each other, you knew there were just sparks flying constantly… They really withstood the test of time… They were in love the entire time… It was so present.”
‘Three’s Company’ Star Joyce DeWitt & More Pay Tribute to Suzanne Somers
View StoryRemembering his time on the dance floor with Suzanne, he shared, “It is such a show that brings out, sometimes, the insecurities. She never showed any of it. She was, like, so positive… Every time she would come in, she had a little bounce in her step.
He added, “That's something that I'm going to take with me for the rest of my life, is knowing that I got to work with a special person like her.”
Tony said of her legacy, “I think her legacy is about empowering women… Her goal in life was to give people the opportunity to heal themselves through nature, through natural growth… Her legacy for me is her smile — her smile never left her face.”
Somers died over the weekend at 76 following a long battle with cancer.