“DWTS” pro Jenna Johnson admits the reason she was 'a little sad' to be partnered with Joey Graziadei

And it maybe has something to do with fellow season 33 contestant Danny Amendola.

For Dancing With the Stars pro Jenna Johnson and contestant Joey Graziadei, it wasn't a match made in heaven — at least not at first.

The season 33 dancing duo appeared on the The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast recently when Johnson was asked by host Ben Higgins for her honest gut reaction when she learned who her partner was.

"Joey knows this, I’ve been honest with him," Johnson prefaced her thoughts. "I think people think that we know who we’re gonna have for a little bit, that’s not the case. They really like to make it a secret so it’s an authentic reaction."

She continued, "But I had a feeling because I heard his name in the mix, and so I was a little sad because I’ve been promised — not promised — but I’ve never had a football player. Through my time on the show I’ve never had a football player. So I kind of heard Danny [Amendola, two-time Super Bowl champ and former NFL wide receiver] was going to be involved and I was like, ‘This is my year. I’m gonna get the NFL guy.’"

Related: Anna Delvey's DWTS partner Ezra Sosa responds to her controversial final words: 'She learned something!'

And then, Graziadei walked through the door. Johnson said she "obviously" knew who he was but hadn't seen his season of The Bachelor, season 28. Johnson, who first started on the dancing show as a troupe member in season 18, added that her sister is a "mega fan" of the Bachelor franchise though, and would not stop gushing about Graziadei, but Johnson was eager to see for herself.

"All of that is true," she admitted of her sister's praise for her partner. "He is one of the most genuine humans I've ever met. I think we just connected really easily and quickly and we have so much fun." Johnson said that while of course there is stress involved in competing on the show, it's just "such a pleasure to work with him."

Related: Dancing With the Stars alum Antonio Sabàto Jr. explains why he thinks the show is 'rigged'

"He's one of those annoying people that's freakishly good at everything," she added, joking that "you just want to punch him" but "it’s been so awesome being his partner."

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Clearly, all's well that ends well: DWTS season 33 is in early days yet, but Graziadei and Johnson have found themselves near the top of the leaderboard in each of the first two weeks.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.