As he gets ready to step into the ballroom for Dancing With the Stars’ season 25, Drew Scott is already seeing his body transform. “In the last 6 weeks — because once I said I’m going to do it, I started eating a little better and doing more cardio and going in and stretching — I’ve lost 27 pounds already,” Scott, 39, told Us Weekly exclusively at NYC’s Planet Hollywood on Wednesday, September 6. “I was actually thinking,’Should I try to do a little bit of dance lessons before?’ And I was just told to do cardio and stretching and it’s just shedding. I haven’t been this light in over 20 years.”
The Property Brothers star, who is engaged to Linda Phan, joked that this is the perfect time to show off his new figure: “[In] my mankini ’cause we are doing a destination wedding. Picture that!”
Scott explained that he and his partner, reigning champion Emma Slater, have been rehearsing whenever possible. “We literally are training on the bus,” Scott said, to which Slater added: “We have to utilize every single moment that we get.”
While the entrepreneur comes from an athletic background, he says learning new moves has been an unexpected challenge. “The thing about me is I’ve always have been good at picking up routines fast. I come from a martial arts background so we’d have to do combos and stuff,” Scott told Us. “That, I pick up fast. But it’s the fine points of the technique that my body hurts — pointing toes and putting my foot in, all this stuff and holding my frame. Oh my gosh it hurts.”
Aside from mastering new dances, Scott says he’s determined to help Slater get her second consecutive Mirrorball trophy. “I want to make sure she gets the duo. I want to make sure she gets that second mirror ball,” he told Us. “Hopefully I can remember my routines.”
However, Slater doesn’t feel the need to win. “I don’t feel any pressure at all. I feel like each season is a complete new-tailor made experience for each individual,” she told Us. “It’s completely different. This is mine and Drew’s season. I don’t feel a certain way about it other than I want it to be the best that it can be, and personal to Drew on his journey.”
Dancing With the Stars season 25 premieres on ABC Monday, September 18.
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