'Frustrated' Priscilla Presley's Stint On DWTS Was More Drama-Filled Than We Thought

It seems that Elvis Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, was ready to dance right off of the "Dancing with the Stars" stage and out of the competition entirely back when she was a contestant. Priscilla placed 8th on the show in 2008. At the time, she was partnered with Louis Van Amstel, ballroom champion and an OG DWTS cast member. To achieve a win on the dancing reality show, partners must have chemistry with each other, but most importantly, they have to be on the same page and always have their eye on the prize. Unfortunately for Priscilla, her dance partner's mind was elsewhere.

In May 2026, Priscilla took the stage for a speaking event at the Westgate in Las Vegas, where she revealed the truth behind her DWTS era. "I could not wait to get kicked off that show. ... I was so nervous because ... my partner, who I liked very much, was in a new relationship with another guy," she said (via Us Weekly). According to Priscilla, Van Amstel would constantly ditch rehearsals for date nights, leaving the two with only three-hour rehearsals to prepare for the challenge ahead. These numbers were dismal in comparison to their competition, who were rehearsing their moves almost six hours a day. "I was a little bit frustrated because he put that before us," Priscilla went on to say. "I felt we could have done a lot better."

It's unclear who exactly was responsible for distracting Louis Van Amstel, causing Priscilla Presley to lose her chance at taking home the Mirrorball Trophy on Season 6 of DWTS. Van Amstel went on to marry Joshua Lancaster in 2017. According to Entertainment Tonight, the couple had been long-time partners before tying the knot. Season 6's stumble can't be blamed on Lancaster for certain, but he's definitely a suspect given the dating timeline between him and Van Amstel. Unfortunately, things ended in divorce for the couple in 2023.

As of this writing, Van Amstel has yet to respond to Presley's comments on her private feud with the pro dancer on their season of DWTS. Prior to this new information regarding their season, Van Amstel had spoken very highly of her when talking with Us Weekly about his time on the reality show and returning for its 20th anniversary in 2025. "What an amazing woman. And from all my celebrities, I see her the most," he gushed. "We always have dinner when I come to Los Angeles and what a quality woman." Let's hope his feelings for her remain the same after he catches wind of Presley's frustrations from all those years ago.