Her journey on “Dancing With the Stars” may not have lasted long, but Food Network favorite Giada De Laurentiis is looking back on her brief experience with affection.
The celebrity chef and dance partner Alan Bersten were sent home on the Tuesday, September 22 edition of the hit reality show, voted off in the second week of Season 35. The third celeb to be eliminated, De Laurentiis followed Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader, who exited together in a surprise double elimination in week one.
The day after her last dance, De Laurentiis took to social media to share her thoughts on the experience.
‘A Fun Adventure’
Viewers saw that De Laurentiis faced some challenges, but she was all smiles in a video she shared via Instagram with her 2.5 million followers.
“Checking in… Thank you for all of the DMs, comments, words of support, it has meant more than you know…” she wrote in the caption of the video she shared.
“The biggest thank you to my amazing partner, @alanbersten – what a fun adventure! All my love ❤️,” she added in her caption.
‘It Is a Rush’
ABC“I just wanted to take a second and thank everybody for all of their support through this journey,” she said in her video, sending a shoutout to “all the moms that shared their stories.”
She continued by saying, “It was really, really, really inspiring. I’m honored to represent women in their 50s and trying something new. Try something that scares you, because honestly, guys, it is a rush.”
She then praised Bersten. “He was such a loving partner, truly,” she said. “So patient and helped me get really determined. So it was really great.”
De Laurentiis also reflected on all the support she received from 18-year-old daughter Jade, who convinced her join “DWTS” before heading off to college.
“Watching Jade watch me dance, to me, that and having her check in with me every day, texting me how I was doing and sending support and love from the East Coast, that to me was the Mirror Ball,” she said. “That was everything. It was really special and something I won’t forget.”
She concluded by telling fans, “I met a lot of cool people and had a great time. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I think that’s what life’s all about. So I got nothing but love and I can’t wait to root everybody on.”
A Farwell Salsa
For what wound up as their final “DWTS” dance, De Laurentiis — who’d been struggling with a broken toe — and Bersten performed a Salsa to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G during the show’s “Viral Night.”
The judges were unimpressed with the performance. Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli awarded Team Aldente a mere 12 points out of 30, with Tonioli describing their dance as a “salsa without spice.” Inaba agreed, and summed up her opinion with a one-word review: “Shaky.”
When asked by “DWTS” co-host Julianne Hough about the low score, De Laurentiis replied, “I think, obviously, it’s… it’s disappointing. But, hopefully, people will vote for us, and I’ll get another shot!”
