Giada De Laurentiis Addresses Whether She Had Tension with “DWTS” Partner Alan Bersten: ‘I Was Frustrated with Myself’ (Exclusive)
Giada De Laurentiis Addresses Whether She Had Tension with “DWTS” Partner Alan Bersten: ‘I Was Frustrated with Myself’ (Exclusive)
Erin ClementsWed, October 7, 2026 at 4:42 PM UTC
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Giada De Laurentiis and Alan BerstenCredit: Christopher Willard/Disney -
De Laurentiis said Bersten remained patient as they adapted to her learning style during rehearsals
The chef struggled with musical counts and broke her toe during her first week and a half
She and Bersten were eliminated after their salsa on the Sept. 22 “Viral Hits Night” episode
Giada De Laurentiis is opening up about the stress she experienced rehearsing on Dancing With the Stars before being sent home.
The celebrity chef and her partner, pro Alan Bersten, were eliminated on the “Viral Hits Night” episode, which aired on Sept. 22. They performed a salsa to Becky G’s “CHULA,” earning a score of 12/30.
“There were moments where it really got to me, especially when I was so frustrated with myself because I couldn’t understand a step or I didn’t hear the music,” De Laurentiis, 56, said during an episode of Maria Menounos’ Heal Squad podcast that will be released Thursday, Oct. 8.
“I mean, I remember meeting Alan and the first thing he asked me is, ‘Here, let’s listen to some music and tell me the counts,’” she recalled.
The Food Network alum admitted she struggled to hear the musical counts as she tried to pick up the choreography.
“A tango has an eight-beat, where a salsa has a three-beat. Like, what?” she said. “I couldn’t process it in the beginning either, which is probably why I was getting so frustrated. Alan, too, is trying to figure out, how does Giada learn?’”
“I mean, you’re thrown into this relationship, and then boom, get going!” she went on. “And every minute counts because, you know, there’s a timer and you’re gonna be on live television doing this. And I think that fear overwhelms you sometimes.”
De Laurentiis then told Menounos she broke her toe within the first week and a half of rehearsals, during a “show and tell” for the other competing pairs.
Maria Menounos (left) and Giada De Laurentiis on ‘Heal Squad’Credit: Heal Squad x Maria Menounos
“I guess I must have put my foot in the wrong spot at the end of the tango and he landed right on my toe,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh my God, the pain.’ I’m still rehabbing from it. Like just allowing my body to kind of settle.”
The Giadzy founder said of the elimination, “Of course, it stings.”
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“I’ve had a lot of success and when you have a lot of success, it can sting even harder, right?” she explained. “Because you’re not used to, like, people ripping you apart a little bit for something that you really don’t have any experience doing. But sure, you don’t wanna look bad. But honestly, Maria, I feel like I did the best I could possibly do with what was allowed.”
“It gets tough and you gotta work through it,” she continued. “And I think I definitely got frustrated at times with myself. And I think, you know, some people ask me if I got frustrated with Alan. I didn’t. I was frustrated with myself in that I was struggling for it to click. It wasn’t clicking fast enough.”
When the season 35 DWTS cast was officially announced on Sept. 2, the culinary star told PEOPLE she’d watched her friend Menounos compete on season 14, which aired in 2012.
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan BerstenCredit: Disney/Eric McCandless
De Laurentiis shared that Menounos advised her to continue to practice her dance moves on her own in addition to the show’s rehearsals.
“All my friends who’ve done it in the past have all said the same thing. It is an unbelievable experience, but it’s a lot on your body, so be prepared,” she said.
In an Instagram video on Sept. 23, De Laurentiis thanked fans for their support during her time on DWTS.
“I’m honored to represent women in their 50s and trying something new,” she said. “Try something that scares you, because honestly, guys, it is a rush.”
The Super-Italian cookbook author also praised Bersten as a dance partner.
“He was such a loving partner, truly,” she said. “So patient and helped me get really determined. So it was really great.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
