‘DWTS’ Pro Koko Iwasaki Reveals How Her & Vinny’s ‘Underdog’ Status ‘Fuels’ Her ‘Fire’

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Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and new DWTS pro Koko Iwasaki are ready to make a comeback. Their first performance during the season 31 premiere earned a 19 out of 40, placing them second to last on the leaderboard. Vinny and Koko are more determined to get back out there and aren’t sweating the first week.

“We’ve been working hard. It wasn’t my best pass out it. I didn’t think I did that bad, honestly. We’re gonna do our thing, and I kind of like being the underdog now,” Vinny admitted to reporters, including HollywoodLife, after the premiere.

Koko revealed that their “underdog” status “fuels my fire.” She added, “I know what we have. I know the chemistry that we have. I know how to teach him, and I’m very excited to just keep pushing… I think it’s kind of put a little bit of fire on our feet, and we’re really going to work hard in proving ourselves.”

The season 31 premiere marked Koko’s Dancing With the Stars debut. She made DWTS history as the first Japanese pro on the show. “I feel all kinds of emotions. I’m number one just very grateful to be here. I’m so happy,” she told reporters.

Vinny and Koko survived the first week of Dancing With the Stars. They didn’t even make the bottom two! Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd were the first couple of season 31 to be eliminated. Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov were saved by the judges.

The 15 couples who are still in the competition will be taking on Elvis Night when the new episode airs on September 26. Vinny and Koko will be dancing the quickstep to Elvis Presley’s hit “Viva Las Vegas.” At the end of the night, another couple will be sent home. Dancing With the Stars season 31 airs Mondays on Disney+.