‘Jersey Shore: Family Vacation’: Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Robbed of a Mirrorball Trophy on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi competed in Dancing with the Stars season 17. She was the second of the series stars to try her hand at winning a mirrorball trophy in the celebrity competition series and, arguably, one of the best. Mike Sorrentino competed in season 11, and Vinny Guadagnino in season 31. Nicole was robbed of a mirrorball trophy; here’s why.
Nicole Polizzi’s dance ability far outweighed her fellow ‘Jersey Shore’ competitors
Of all three Jersey Shore: Family Vacation stars who competed on Dancing with the Stars, Nicole Polizzi’s ability far outweighed her co-stars. She appeared to seamlessly blend into ballroom dancing, whereas Mike Sorrentino and Vinny Guadagnino struggled to master complex ballroom techniques.
Nicole’s background as a gymnast helped her with the athletic aspect of the competition. However, there were still dances to learn, where footwork was as crucial as keeping to the beat of the music.
She was paired with Sasha Farber in2013. Together, they were fan favorites but ultimately made it to eighth place, beating Mike, who came in ninth. Vinny did the best and was eliminated seventh.
Nicole had some tough competition that season. Some celebrities that season were Amber Riley (who won the mirrorball), Corbin Bleu, and Jack Osbourne.
Nicole’s ability should have allowed her to at least reach the finals. However, as the show is based on viewer votes alongside judge scores, perhaps her Jersey Shore past caught up to her, and some viewers could have been turned off by her past antics.
This was when the show had been off the air for just one year. Therefore, Nicole and her roommates’ actions in many situations were still fresh in viewers’ minds.
Should ‘Jersey Shore’ star Nicole Polizzi have won ‘Dancing with the Stars?’
In a Reddit post dedicated to Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, fans weighed in on Nicole Polizzi’s time as a ballroom dancer. They believed she was robbed of a Dancing with the Stars mirrorball trophy.
“She was so much fun on DWTS. I wanted her to win so badly, and I remember being so mad when she was eliminated. Not only was she just GOOD, but she also seemed like she was having a blast!” wrote one Redditor.
“Snooki went home too soon. She and Sasha were an absolute delight to watch,” wrote a second fan.
A third viewer noted, “I think people forget she was a cheerleader, so she is very athletic. We always saw her falling over drunk on the show, lol.”
A fourth fan surmised, “I remember this season. She should’ve made it much farther (and maybe won). There were clearly a lot of anti-Jersey Shore viewers back then.”
Nicole Polizzi was ‘upset’ to leave ‘DWTS’
In an essay for People Magazine, Nicole Polizzi shared that she had mixed emotions upon being eliminated from Dancing with the Stars. She said she missed everyone and, like her Jersey Shore castmates, believed the competing celebs had become a “dysfunctional family, and we all had no idea what the hell we got ourselves into.”
“I was so upset to be eliminated because the experience was beyond anything I could have imagined. I loved being a part of a competition that tested my skills and character. I’ve become so close with everyone on the show, from the cast to the pros, makeup and hair people, and even the producers and stage crew,” she wrote.
“Dancing with the Stars was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I’m so happy I decided to do it. I’m glad I got to show people the real side of me and also the new side of me as a loving and fun mother,” she concluded.
At the time, Nicole was engaged to her now-husband, Jionni LaValle, and they had one child, a son, Lorenzo. The couple wed in November 2014, two months after the birth of their second child, a daughter Giovanna. The couple welcomed their third child, Angelo, in 2019.
