'Real star of the show': Con artist Anna Sorokin debuts sparkly ankle tag on Dancing with the Stars
Convicted con artist Anna Sorokin has taken the floor on the new season of US TV's Dancing with the Stars wearing a sparkly ankle tag.
Sorokin, dubbed the fake heiress, was convicted in 2019 on multiple counts of larceny and theft after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey.
Under her fake name, Sorokin worked her way into elite New York social circles by passing herself off as a socialite with a $67 million (£59 million) fortune overseas.
She falsified records and lied to get banks and well-heeled Manhattanites to lend her money and cover her expenses, stealing $275,000 (£245,000) in total.
The 31-year-old's exploits inspired the hit Netflix drama, Inventing Anna, which aired in 2022.
“[The ankle monitor] is actually not a big issue at all," Sorokin told The Associated Press after the premiere of ABC's Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday. "It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad.”
Alongside her dance pro partner, Ezra Sosa, performed a routine set to Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso.
“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa said of Sorokin's bedazzled ankle monitor.
Sorokin acknowledged her debut didn't go as planned. “I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”
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Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.
“Hopefully people will give me, will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution," she said.
Early reviews from fans were not positive, with the phrase “Anna Delvey’s Lackluster DWTS Debut” among those trending on the social media site X.
While Sorokin was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she was freed, claiming she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her Germany where her family moved from Russia when she was 16.
She was held in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for more than a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation.
Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.
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