Stephen Nederoscik had yet another Clark Kent moment at the 2024 Emmys.
And as it turns out, the moment—which saw the Olympian whip off his glasses at E!’s red carpet Glambot á la Superman—was all inspired by his longtime girlfriend Tess McCracken.
“Me and Tess got to walk the red carpet, we did the Glambot,” he exclusively told E! News after the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars. “I was like, ‘What do I do?’ She’s like, ‘Take your glasses off!’” (For more with the new DWTS cast, tune into E! News tonight, Sept. 18.)
And so he did, with Tess blowing a demure kiss at the camera by his side. It was a date night to remember.
“She loved it,” Stephen confirmed. “She was like, ‘There’s that guy. And that guy.’ It was so fun.” (Though don’t ask him to identify “that guy,” as he is self-admittedly terrible with names.)
But the excitement didn’t stop on the red carpet; Stephen later took to the stage alongside fellow Olympians Ilona Maher, Caeleb Dressel and Ezra French to present the award for Outstanding Direction of a Drama Series.
“It was so cool,” the 25-year-old remembered. “And I was so lucky Ilona was there, cause I was like, ‘Ilona, I’m freaking out.’ And she was like, ‘All you have to do is walk.’ But it was such an amazing experience.”
Stephen was even spotted preparing for his big onstage moment the same way he did for his pommel horse routine at the Olympics—reclined in his seat, eyes closed as he locked in.
It’s a strategy he said he and his DWTS pro partner Rylee Arnold employed, too, before they stepped onto the ballroom stage to perform their jive.
“Me and Rylee both closed our eyes, put our heads back and did breathing exercises,” Stephen admitted. “I totally recommend it to everyone, because what you can do is control the controllables. And one of those is your heart rate. So breathing helps slow it down, and while you’re doing it you can also think positive thoughts.”
And when the pair did take to the floor, ultimately earning a 21 out of 30, Stephen danced without his glasses, just like he did during his Olympic routines.
“It’s definitely different than pommel horse, but the thing about dance is I can also feel it,” the two-time bronze medalist explained. “I have a partner who’s helping me get around the dance floor, and honestly I don’t need to use my vision so much when I’m dancing.”
He continued, “It’s mostly the feet, mostly the smile, and as long as I can see the red light on the camera I’m okay,”
And to see all the celeb-pro couples competing on this season of Dancing with the Stars, keep reading.
- Reporting by Nikki Novak
Anna Delvey
The inspriation behind Inventing Anna traded her ankle bracelet for dancing shoes alongside partner Ezra Sosa. However, the fake heiress was eliminated during the season's Sept. 24 episode, with her saying that she learned "nothing" in her now-infamous, one-word farewell speech.
Ilona Maher
The Olympic rugby player was ready to ruck up the dance floor with pro Alan Bersten, finishing as the runner-up.
Chandler Kinney
The Disney Channel star tried to dance her way to the top with partner Brandon Armstrong and ultimately placed third.
Brooks Nader
The model and her partner Gleb Savchenko were ready to strut along the ballroom, but took their final bow on Oct. 15.
Reginald VelJohnson
All that mattered for the Family Matters alum and partner Emma Slater was taking home the Mirrorball Trophy. However, their journey was cut short during the second week of competition on Oct. 8.
Eric Roberts
The Dark Knight star was partnered with Britt Stewart. They were eliminated in the second week alongside Reginald and Emma.
Joey Graziadei
The Bachelor alum has found his rose between thorns in partner Jenna Johnson, winning season 33.
Tori Spelling
The alum of Beverly Hills, 90210 was oh so ready to dance alongside Pasha Pashkov. Unfortunately, the two last only one week and was cut from competition in a double elimination alongside Anna and Ezra.
Danny Amendola
The NFL pro and partner Witney Carson sure scored a touchdown on the dance floor, placing fifth in the finale.
Dwight Howard
The NBA star hoped to stand head and shoulders above the competition with partner Daniella Karagach, but was eliminated from the competition on Nov. 12.
Stephen Nedoroscik
The Olympian had his sights set on another medal—or should we say, Mirrorball Trophy—with partner Rylee Arnold, placing fourth in the Nov. 26 finale.
Phaedra Parks
The Traitors alum was sure to weed out the competition with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, but ended up getting cut from the lineup Oct. 22.
Jenn Tran
Though Bachelorette star and partner Sasha Farber were full bloom in the ballroom, they were eliminated from the competition on Oct. 29.