Taylor Swift sent in a video of herself for a Taylor Swift-themed Dancing with the Stars night a few season ago, but now a former contestant is revealing that the pop icon actually watched the episode filled with performances dedicated to her music. American Pie and How I Met Your Mother actress Alyson Hannigan, who competed on season 32 of DWTS in 2023, revealed the news about her musical icon Thursday in a new episode of the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast.
Alyson made it known that season that she was a massive Swiftie — so when the show announced that they were planning a Taylor Swift-themed night later in the season, her only goal was to make it that far in the competition, she told podcast host Joey Graziadei. Despite ending up in the bottom rankings a handful of times throughout the season, Alyson did, in fact, make it to Taylor Swift Night, the third to last episode of the season. Taylor's Eras Tour choreographer Mandy Moore appeared as a guest judge.
Alyson and her pro partner, Sasha Farber, performed a cha cha to "You Belong With Me," while she wore a Fearless era-inspired gold fringe dress and a collection of friendship bracelets. "This is what I've been waiting for the entire season," Alyson said before performing that night. Other featured songs included "Love Story," "Cruel Summer," "Don't Blame Me," "August," "Look What You Made Me Do," "Paper Rings," "Lover," "Shake It Off" and "Lavender Haze."
Looking back on the episode two years later, Alyson opened up about feeling extra pressure, because "what if [Taylor was] watching?" Joey asked if Alyson ever heard if Taylor did, in fact, watch that episode. "I did find out — she watched with her dancers," Alyson said. "I'm sure it wasn't live."
© ABC"That's amazing," Joey replied. "Now you know that she got to see you dance. That's so special."
Later in the interview, Joey prompted Alyson to share rapid-fire thoughts on each couple's dances. "Swiftie," she said when asked about Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck and pro Jan Ravnik, referencing Jan's previous gig as a dancer on the Eras Tour. "He can do no wrong in my book."
Though Taylor didn't attend the taping of that episode, she has appeared a handful of times on DWTS in the past: first in 2009 singing "Love Story" and "Jump Then Fall" in season 9, then the following year for a performance of "Mine" during season 11's 200th episode celebration and again in 2012 for season 15's Country Night, when she performed a rendition of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."
© Getty ImagesAlyson joined the second episode of the DWTS Official Podcast this week after returning to the ballroom during Tuesday night's episode as an audience member. She was among a handful of other celebrities, some also past competitors, in attendance that night. Season 30 runner-up Jojo Siwa was spotted backstage, as was fellow actress Lisa Ann Walter, a star on a neighboring ABC show (Abbott Elementary) and a close friend of her former Parent Trap costar Elaine Hendrix, a competitor this season.
© Getty Images
