Dancing with the Stars showed love for Suzanne Somers with two touching tributes following her passing on Sunday.
The iconic actress – who starred in Three’s Company and Step By Step – died at the age of 76, following a battle with breast cancer.
The former contestant was remembered with an emotional montage during Tuesday night’s episode.
Images of the star during her time on the dance competition in 2015 were broadcast at the beginning of the show and just before the last commercial break.
The second tribute included warm words from host Alfonso Ribeiro, who said, ‘Suzanne competed on season 20, and she made a big impression on everyone here both in the ballroom and behind the scenes.’
Tribute: Dancing with the Stars showed love for Suzanne Somers with two touching tributes following her passing on Sunday
Montage: In the wake of her death, DWTS honored the departed actress and former contestant with an emotional montage during Tuesday night’s episode
Dual tributes: Images of the star during her time on the dance competition were broadcast at the beginning of the show and just before the last commercial break
‘Our thoughts go out to her friends and family,’ it was added.
Suzanne’s dance partner from the show, Tony Dovolani, echoed the sentiment a day before, telling Entertainment Tonight the news of her passing ‘really hit me like a ton of bricks.’
Tony added, ‘I had it in my calendar to wish her a happy birthday because she was turning 77 in a couple days. When I found out, it just cut my legs from under me because she was such a beacon of light.
‘I remember Suzanne Somers with a smile on her face, and it just saddens me to the core because I knew she really fought this cancer for such a long time,’ he explained.
‘She was dealing with it, even back then, and trying every natural way of dealing with this. The fact that she was able to survive it for as long as she did is really a true testament to her dedication to being healthy.’
The choreographer said Suzanne was always up for a challenge.
‘As a partner, it’s interesting because Dancing with the Stars is such a machine and you could be successful in everything else, but you show up in the ballroom, all kinds of things happen,’ he advised.
‘But she always walked in with a pep in her step. She really wanted to learn. She was always respectful, she wanted to be pushed hard. She had her frustrating moments but never without a smile.’
That smile seemed to be a sign of her overall approach to life.
Warm words: The second tribute included warm words from host Alfonso Ribeiro, who said, ‘Suzanne competed on season 20, and she made a big impression on everyone here both in the ballroom and behind the scenes
Seasoned vet: Suzanne competed on the 20th season of DWTS
‘Positivity was a big part of her life. Being optimistic. She never acted like the victim. She never brought it up as an excuse when we were working,’ he stated.
‘I mean, she was so full of life and full of positivity that you would never know that she had breast cancer. And the interesting thing about that is that she truly believed with her entire heart that being positive and being optimistic and looking forward to the future was the way to beat cancer. She battled that terrible disease for so many years. But honestly, she lived every moment to its fullest.’
In a separate statement to Extra, Tony commented again on her positive attitude and said she was a ‘joy to be around.’
‘Every time she would come in, she had a little bounce in her step. That’s something that I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life, is knowing that I got to work with a special person like her.’
Giving it her all: Suzanne performed each dance with aplomb during her time on the show
Partner shoutout: Suzanne’s dancing partner from the show, Dovolani, echoed the sentiment a day before
Tony said his former partner’s goal was to share her light with as many people as she could.
‘Her goal in life was to give people the opportunity to heal themselves through nature, through natural growth… Her legacy for me is her smile — her smile never left her face.
After learning of Suzanne’s passing, Tony share a photo of them from DWTS writing, ‘Rip @suzannesomers what an honor getting to know you #danceinheaven beautiful human being so saddened by this news.’
He also shared a video of a time the two were splattered with whipped cream while speaking with fans outside the studio.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesday at 8pm ET.
