Fan favourite Barry Williams made a farewell appearance in the ballroom for a featured moment with partner Peta Murgatroyd during the season 32 finale of Dancing With the Stars. He performed his salsa from his last week on the show, complete with an exposed chest and an open jacket.
Williams was beaming as he demonstrated his trademark theatrics during a brief dance between the grand finale dances, where the top five couples battled for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
With his seventh-place finish, Williams, 69, became the second-oldest competitor to reach that stage on the programme (the oldest being Tommy Chong, 76, who advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of season 19 in 2014).
Williams went out on a high note, winning a head-to-head dance-off round with an ecstatic, chest-bearing salsa, even though he was ousted in week 8. “That’s how I wanted to go out, if I had to,” Williams said to EW after leaving. “I’m rather pleased with my progress. In actuality, I was holding my own against competitors who were almost 50 years younger than me. I had already surpassed the halfway mark. I regret not being able to attend this next week, but I will say this: if I were fired, I would want to go out and dance salsa, having the fun of my life, and I did just that.”
Williams brought his contagious smile and lots of cheeky nods to his Brady Bunch stardom on the dance floor throughout the season. His TV mother Florence Henderson had always supported his desire to compete on the show.
Williams surpassed both Henderson and TV sister Maureen McCormick to become the Brady Bunch cast member with the longest tenure on DWTS as a result of his accomplishment.
