Amber Glenn really said, “Let’s bring it” during Bisexual Visibility Week. On this week’s Dancing with the Stars, the Olympic gold medalist and her partner, Pasha Pashkov, delivered a gorgeous tango to Harrison’s cover of t.A.T.u.’s “All the Things She Said” for Viral Hits Night. If you know Heated Rivalry, you know why that song choice had us seated.
Before the dance, Glenn talked about why Heated Rivalry has stayed with her. “It’s a story that I really connected with when I came out,” she said in the pre-package. She remembered wondering if her sexuality would one day affect her career. “What if I don’t get the sponsorship deals? What if I get kicked off the team?”
The cover plays during a pivotal scene between hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, and the internet has barely let it go. Luckily, Glenn and Pashkov’s performance did not disappoint. They earned 21 out of 30, tying for the night’s highest score.
Glenn Joins DWTS
Glenn joined Season 35 after helping Team USA win gold in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Now she’s swapping solo routines on the ice for partner work with Pashkov, alongside a cast that includes Glee star Harry Shum Jr., actors Julia Stiles, Tatyana Ali and Jenna Dewan, singer Taylor Hanson, Paralympic champion Ezra Frech and reality favorites Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller and Tyler Cameron. It’s quite a group chat to walk into.
The season also opened with a queer ballroom milestone. Love Thy Nader star Sarah Jane Nader, who has spoken publicly about being bisexual, danced with pro Hailey Bills in the show’s second all-women partnership. Sadly, they were eliminated during premiere week.
Why This Tango Was Personal
Based on Rachel Reid’s romance novels, Heated Rivalry follows Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie), two hockey stars on rival teams who keep their relationship private while trying to hold on to the careers they’ve built. Glenn, who came out as bisexual and pansexual in 2019, recognized the fear that being open might change everything.
The performance also fell during Bi Visibility Week. Ilya is bisexual in Reid’s books, and the show depicts his attraction to women as well as his relationship with Shane. Glenn bringing that story to a giant TV ballroom made the timing feel pretty perfect.
And this wasn’t her first trip into the Heated Rivalry universe. Glenn previously teamed up with content creator Lena Lemon to recreate scenes from the series on the ice.
“It means so much to me as a pro athlete to see queer representation, and when [Heated Rivalry] came out, it just meant so much. I just really connected, and to be able to perform it not just on [DWTS] but with the song performer here live. It’s incredible.”
From an on-ice tribute to a leaderboard-topping tango, Glenn is doing an excellent job of keeping the Heated Rivalry obsession alive. We support it wholeheartedly. Watch their full dance below.
