For the premiere of Dancing With the Star's new season, Carrie Ann Inaba's look was worthy of a perfect score.
On Monday, Sept. 20, ABC's reality dance competition returned to our television screens to kick off its milestone 30th season, which doubled as a meaningful anniversary for Inaba, one of the show's original judges. While it was just the first episode, according to Inaba, this season is already shaping up to be a special one.
"Season 30 is the biggest season we've ever had, both in size, with 15 celebrity couples competing, and in speaking to positive change with our first-ever same-sex couple," she told E! News. "JoJo [Siwa] and Jenna [Johnson] did not disappoint! Jenna had a little bit of a misstep, but JoJo picked her right up and kept going—it was magical to watch. What I love about the performers this season is that it seems like the level of competition is quite high. I don't think we have ever seen week-one performances at this level, so that's exciting and very appropriate for Season 30!"
But before she could dole out scores to the stars competing on the dance floor this season, Inaba had another decision to make: What to wear?
"We chose a beautiful gown that has what I thought looked like angel wings on the front," she told E! News about her Aida Novosel gown. "It made me feel extra special for what is an important moment in my own personal life and also a very pivotal year for everyone around the world."
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, DWTS forged ahead last season with major safety protocols in place and the significance of this time in history is not lost on the star. "I felt like it was appropriate for the season opener to have [a] nod to angels, to something looking down on us all helping us through whatever it is we all may go through," she explained, "as that is so much on theme with what each contestant does on their own DWTS journeys."
Putting together a look for a show as fabulous as DWTS requires the hard work of a team of real-life angels. "It was also nice to bring back my work glam team Marylin [Lee Spiegel], Glenn [Nutley] and Rhonda [Spies] who I can rely on and, who each and every night of the show, do an amazing job," she said. "When you do live TV, your team has to be your everything out there and we are all fortunate to be able to follow protocol to be able to be together again for each other, with my glam fam, the cast, crew and my fellow judges."
Below, Inaba and her pros broke down her dazzling premiere night look exclusively with E! News: