Charity Lawson is thrilled to be paired up with Artem Chigvintsev for season 32 of Dancing With the Stars — despite Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s warning about his approach.
“[Kaitlyn] told me to have a lot of patience — which I do — but also that he’s just such a great teacher and that I’m going to learn so much, and I already have,” Lawson, 27, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 13, about her fellow former Bachelorette, 38, who previously competed with Chigvintsev, 41, during season 29 of DWTS and won.
Chigvintsev, however, wasn’t concerned by Bristowe’s assessment, saying, “Look, it’s all with a good intention. Because I know sometimes when we have someone who has a great potential, you want to bring it out of them. It worked for Kaitlyn — she won the mirrorball trophy.”
During a recent appearance on Bristowe’s “Off The Vine” podcast, Lawson got some insight into what it takes to win the ballroom dance competition. “You always got to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Bristowe said on Thursday, September 7. “You’re doing something really fun, and don’t forget that because people get really caught up in the — I did — I got really caught up in the competition of it and making it further.”
Bristowe said she regretted not putting the emphasis on having fun during her DWTS journey, adding, “I wish I looked back and was like, ‘Kaitlyn, it’s a family-friendly show. It’s about dancing, it’s about making other people feel good at home.’ This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, and it’s something new that I’m doing.”
While attempting to guess who Lawson would be paired with, Bristowe also discussed the challenges of the rehearsal process.
“I think possibly Artem because [of] the height. I think possibly Alan [Bersten] because I could see them putting you with him, only because he’s one of the more well-loved, I feel like, out of a lot of them. And I feel like I could see you and your fun personality with him,” Bristowe said. “He’s kind of a d—k, but I can see it. Well, they’re all d—ks. They’re all d—ks, I’m telling you. Buckle up.”
Lawson was confirmed to be joining season 32 in a surprise announcement on the After the Final Rose special of The Bachelorette finale in August before the rest of the cast was revealed on Wednesday. She told Us that she “literally screamed” when she learned she was paired with Chigvintsev.
“I was like, ‘No way this is who I got. [This is great].’ Obviously, I’ve watched the show, so I know Artem is truly one of the best. I’m so grateful because he’s been amazing,” she shared.
As for Chigvintsev, he admitted to feeling “a bit of pressure” about getting another partner from Bachelor Nation, telling Us, “Usually we don’t get two Bachelorettes in a row. It is a bit of a pressure [because] I feel like people have a certain expectation, especially when Kaitlyn did so well and Gabby [Windey] last season did so well. So we’re just going to hopefully keep that expectation for you.”
Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC Tuesday, September 26, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
