Anna Delvey isn’t letting her ankle monitor stop her Dancing with the Stars debut!
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Netflix’s Inventing Anna subject, 33, spoke to PEOPLE about how she’s doing house arrest in style for season 33 of the ABC dancing competition television series.
“I've been relieved it's over,” she told PEOPLE after wrapping night one with her dance partner Ezra Sosa.
“I was a bit nervous, and I feel like I could have done better with my dance, especially during the rehearsals, but it was a great experience. I performed in front of a live audience, and that was my first time,” she said.
Sosa, who made his debut “as an official pro,” said he had one goal in mind when it came to choreographing their routine.
“I just really wanted to show off the ankle monitor,” Sosa told PEOPLE. “Let's be real here. It's the real star of the show.”
Delvey, whose legal name is Anna Sorokin, made headlines for scamming countless wealthy socialites while posing as a wealthy German heiress while living in New York City before she was arrested in October 2017 during a sting operation.
“It's part of the costume,” Delvey said of her ankle monitor. She later told PEOPLE that the ankle monitor decor was, of course, fully customized for her.
"The costume department created a detachable sleeve for the monitor," she said, adding, "They just used double-sided tape to keep it on and we took it off right after.”
Though ankle monitors cannot be tampered with, they can be lightly decorated — which Delvey has done before. She told PEOPLE, "There are no explicit or written rules for decorating it, as long as it’s not getting damaged."
Delvey stunned in a two-piece skirt set. Her long-sleeved button-down crop top featured tassels perfect for showcasing her movement in the eye-catching blue, burnt orange, purple and yellow design.
Her miniskirt and heels completed her look for the evening.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Sosa shared with PEOPLE that he’s excited to see Delvey as she progresses.
When asked how it felt to have Carrie Ann Inaba’s support on DWTS after the judge, 56, asked that no one pass judgment on Delvey, the duo couldn’t be more proud to have someone in their corner.
“Yeah, the people should give me a second chance, and I served my time, and paid my restitution,” Delvey told PEOPLE.
Sosa added, “I really think she talks about what Dancing with the Stars is really about. No matter where you come from, it is just about the dance. And no matter what happens, you go out on the floor, you dance, you get your score. And I really do think what she said was really meaningful.”
As for what a “dream theme night” would be on the hit series, Delvey and Sosa think “Fashion Week” would be “iconic.”
Dancing with the Stars is produced in front of a live audience by BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. Season 33 premiered Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Related Articles
Follow Us
