For the second year in a row Dancing with the stars producers surprised the show’s audience by announcing that all five semifinalists would advance to next week’s finale.

While some pros confided to TV Insider that the news didn’t come as a total shock (especially when host Alfonso Ribeiro announced a three-hour finale during the program), one celebrity confidently believed he was hanging up his dancing activities. shoes – and his glasses – for this season, given his slightly lower scores and the fact that three pairs were declared safe before him.

“I thought it’s between Rylee (Arnold) and me, and Ilona (Maher) and Alan (Bersten),” Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik told TV Insider after the show. “She scored better. She has a bigger fan base. This is it. I thought my dance journey was probably over. When I heard them say that we (all) had made it to the final, I fell to the floor with excitement.”

The evening started challenging for Nedoroscik. He and Arnold earned 25 points for their cha-cha-cha on the song “Bailar.” While that’s a great score for the first half of the season, couples traditionally rank higher in the semifinals.

During the couple’s second dance, a tango, a hiccup occurred when Nedoroscik’s glasses became slightly loose, obstructing his vision. “I tried to fix them,” he says. “They couldn’t get it right, so Rylee threw them away.”

Disney/Eric McCandless

“I saw that they were crooked,” says Arnold. “I just did it.”

“That’s it absolute That’s the right thing to do,” Nedoroscik hastens to add, noting that it’s better to complete a dance without glasses, rather than wearing the wrong glasses.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba shared in her criticism that she could identify with Nedoroscik’s glasses accident. “My eyesight is very poor – not now,” she clarified. “I wear my contact lenses.” Inaba added that what probably happened to Nedoroscki’s depth perception when his glasses were half removed from his face was no joke. “I was so impressed. You didn’t stop. You went ahead and made (Rylee) continue that dance like a pro!

Inaba drove home how impressed she was with Nedoroscik by giving him a “10” score. “Sometimes it’s just magic and that’s it – that was a 10 for me!” she said enthusiastically.

Before the semi-final, Arnold already praised Nedoroscik’s work ethic. “I really saw him become a dancer,” she told TV Insider. “He makes sure he gets every step right. It was fun to see his learning process. I’m so proud of him. I just love Stephen. He has been the best partner.”

Now the couple, along with the other four finalists, are preparing for their respective freestyle dance, which could determine who wins the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy.

Nedoroscik’s freestyle, Arnold looks ahead, “will involve Stephen’s world very heavily. It’s something that Dancing with the stars never seen before. We are very excited.”

Dancing with the stars3-hour season 33 finale, Tuesday, November 26, 8/7, ABC