Tonya Harding had her Dancing with the Stars debut on Monday night, and she couldn't be happier that she survived elimination.
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However, Johnny, Jamie and their respective partners became the first two couples ousted from the Season 26 competition.
"I was like, 'No, lord, please, don't let this be the last dance. I'm finally learning how to be a lady and learning how to dance and I haven't lost my last five pounds yet,'" Tonya joked to E! News.
"And Sasha is such a wonderful partner. He's taught me how to be graceful and it made me feel like I'm worth something on the dance floor, like I belong here."
The disgraced former Olympic figure skater and Sasha performed a foxtrot to Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's "When You Believe" on Dancing with the Stars: Athletes. They received 23 out of 30 points from judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, landing in a tie for third place on the leaderboard.
"I'm teaching her, but really, she's teaching me a lot. She's been through so much and it makes it so much more wanting to make her a better dancer. To work with her is a dream," Sasha gushed.
"She's always there rehearsing and practicing. She never wants breaks and she's just perfect. I know she had a lot of pressure tonight because it was the first time she's performed in many, many years. This is like a second chance now, this is it."
Tonya has made headlines in recent months thanks to the release of I, Tonya, the Oscar-nominated film which depicts the incident in which an assailant hired by Tonya's ex-husband and bodyguard physically attacked Tonya's rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Tonya revealed she joined Dancing with the Stars for its mini season this spring "just to have fun" and prove what she's capable of achieving.
"I'm here...to show myself and my friends that I can do this, and to America that I belong here," Tonya noted. "I belong here. I belong with the other competitors who are wonderful athletes and Olympians. We're going to do as best as we can and see how far we can go."
Tonya added, however, "the only one who intimidates me is myself... [and I'm feeling] pretty darn good."
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RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
Next week, Tonya and Sasha will be performing something "special" and "very different," according to the celebrity and professional pairing.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
