For the second year in a row, Dancing with the stars producers surprised the show’s audience by announcing that all five semifinalists would advance to next week’s finals.

While some of the pros confided in TV Insider that the news didn’t come as a complete shock (certainly not a single host Alfonso Ribeiro announced a three-hour finale during the show), one celebrity thought for sure he was hanging up his dancing shoes — and his glasses — for the season, given his slightly lower score and the fact that three couples were called safe before he was.

“I thought it’s in between Rylee (Arnold) and I, and Ilona (Maher) and Alan (Bersten)Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik told TV Insider on the press line after the show. “She scored better. She has a bigger fan base. This is it. I thought my dance journey is probably over. To hear them say we (all) made it to the finals, I fell to the floor with elation.”

The evening started challenging for Nedoroscik. He and Arnold scored 25 points for their cha-cha-cha to the song “Bailar.” Although a good result for the first half of the season, couples are traditionally ranked higher in the semi-finals.

During the couple’s second dance, a tango, a problem occurred when Nedoroscik’s glasses came off slightly, hampering his vision. “I tried to fix them,” he says. “They couldn’t get it right so Rylee threw them off.”

Disney / Eric McCandless

“I saw they were crooked,” says Arnold. “I just did.”

“That was it absolutely the right thing to do,” Nedoroscik hastens to add, noting that it’s better to finish a dance without glasses than wearing them incorrectly.

Assess Carrie Ann Inaba shared in her critique that she could relate to Nedoroscik’s glasses mishap. “I have really bad eyesight – not now,” she clarified. “I have my contacts on.” Inaba added that what likely happened to Nedoroscki’s depth perception when his glasses were half off his face was no joke. “I was so impressed. You didn’t stop. You kept going and you let (Rylee) continue that dance like a pro!”

Inaba drove home how impressed she was with Nedoroscik by giving him a “10” score. “Sometimes it’s just magic and that’s all there is – that was a 10a for me!” she enthused.

Even before the semi-finals, Arnold praised Nedoroscik’s work ethic. “I’ve really seen him become a dancer,” she told TV Insider. “He makes sure he gets every step right. It’s been fun watching his learning process. I’m so proud of him. I just love Stephen. He’s been the best partner.”

Now the pair, along with the other four finalists, prepare for their respective freestyle dances, which could decide who wins the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy.

Nedoroscik’s freestyle, Arnold previews, “will involve Stephen’s world very heavily. It’s something that Dancing with the stars never seen before. We are very excited.”

Dancing with the stars3-Hour Season 33 Finale, Tuesday, November 26, 8/7, ABC