“The Bachelorette” star Kaitlyn Bristowe won “Dancing With the Stars” season 29 back in 2020. She and her partner Artem Chigvintsev brought home the Mirrorball trophy, which also marked his first win as a pro.
Fans know it takes a lot of discipline, strength, and countless rehearsal hours to win “Dancing With the Stars.” But Kaitlyn Bristowe has another very important piece of advice to give future celebrity contestants.
Kaitlyn Bristowe Tells All Future “DWTS” Competitors the Same Thing
“Dancing With the Stars” season 29 was unusual for a number of reasons. The raging pandemic made it impossible to have a live audience. On top of that, it was the first season to air after long-time host Tom Bergeron’s exit.
But even amid the changes, Kaitlyn Bristowe was determined to win the Mirrorball trophy from the start. Even though she was an avid “DWTS” viewer, she knew she had a lot to learn from her partner Artem Chigvintsev. Now, Kaitlyn has some wisdom to impart on future competitors.
“Usually my advice to whoever goes on the show is, like, just surrender,” the season 29 winner admitted during a recent episode of her podcast, “Off the Vine.” “It is so much better when you shut up and listen.”
As someone with a strong personality of her own, Kaitlyn struggled to remain silent and take direction from her dance partner at times. However, she ultimately knew Artem’s expertise would help them win. In the end, her patience paid off.
“I wanted to fight Artem on so many things and tell him, [but] at the end of the day, I’m, like, ‘Nothing else matters except for him trying to get what’s best out of both of us and if I just shut up and listen, I’m going to get more out of this than if I try and back-talk him all the time,’” Kaitlyn shared.
The Former “Bachelorette” Star Bravely Speaks on Mental Health
Fans know Kaitlyn Bristowe for her ambitious and silly personality. But in a heartfelt Instagram post, she bravely opened up about mental health struggles.
“Humor helps, and I believe I have been handling a lot with grace, but.. I have to be honest. I’m feeling really down, challenged, stuck, and hard on myself,” the reality star wrote. “I just had the most epic breakdown. Not looking for sympathy, just sharing. I’ll come out of it. ❤️❤️”
Kaitlyn turned off the comments, but many fans appreciated the sincerity and vulnerability.
“Dancing With the Stars” heads back to ABC this fall.
