'Dancing With the Stars' 2016: Ryan Lochte Admits First Weeks Were 'Hard' [VIDEO]
Ryan Lochte is finally opening up and coming into his own on ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
It's safe to say that Lochte had a rocky start on Dancing With the Stars, with two protestors rushing the stage shortly after his first dance in September. The incident rattled him greatly, and he has mostly received average to low scores since then. But now, Lochte is feeling more comfortable than ever.
"I'm so happy," he admitted to E! News after Monday night's show. "I keep getting better. I'm loving this process."
Lochte spoke with the publication about his rocky beginning, admitting that he's now giving America the chance to see the real him.
"The first couple of weeks it was hard. I was in a shell, I was shy to come out and show people who I really am," Lochte said. "Now I think people are starting to see who I really am and they're like, 'This is a good guy,' and I'm in this process of going on this show and dancing...everyone around me is so nice. I'm on cloud nine."
It was not known if America would respond well to Lochte being on the show considering his controversial gas station incident in Rio happened just a few weeks before the premiere. But he has outlasted four other celebrities thus far and could make it even further if he remains somewhat consistent.
Unfortunately, Lochte and his pro partner Cheryl Burke tied for last on Monday, with the judges giving him a 24 out of 30. Luckily, he was tied with three other celebrities for last place (Maureen McCormick, Amber Rose and Calvin Johnson Jr.), so he still has a shot of advancing past next week.
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Watch Lochte and Burke's latest dance below:
