For Witney Carson, navigating her third pregnancy and Dancing With the Stars season 35 rehearsals has been a proverbial walk in the park.
“It’s honestly been OK,” Witney, 32, exclusively told Us while promoting her partnership with Chevron. “I feel like I’ve had a lot more energy than I did in my first trimester. The nausea is starting to subside and I’m starting to have a little bit more energy.”
Witney, a mom of two boys already, shared that she recently had a conversation with season 35 partner Guillermo Rodriguez about the changes she’s noticed to her pregnant body. (Witney and husband Carson McAllister share sons Leo, 5, and Jet, 3.)
“It’s funny, because I was telling Guillermo I feel exactly the same physically, I’m just more out of breath,” she said. “But I really feel physically like, I don’t feel like I’m pregnant at all honestly. I feel like I can do all the same things, which is such a blessing. I know that it will start to get a little bit harder once I get a little bit bigger.”
For now, Witney joked that she can still “lift” Guillermo as the duo prepare for the beloved reality dance competition’s double series premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16.
“I can still toss him up in the air,” she quipped. “No, but I suspect that it should go pretty smoothly. Obviously the health of the baby is the most important thing and Guillermo understands that as well. But we’re just gonna try and have fun.”
Witney, who won DWTS season 34 while competing with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, shared that Guillermo was “really nervous” when they were paired together — but the duo have since formed a bond.
“I told him I was pregnant, and he was like, ‘That’s actually really relieving because you’ll just take a lot of breaks for food then.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, OK.’ So he’s feeling a little bit more comfortable, I think, around me,” she said.
And with a recent victory under her belt, Witney is “still very competitive” when it comes to taking home another Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy this season.
“I always want to win, so I told Guillermo, ‘I want to win again. I just got the taste of it and now I want to do it again,’” she recalled to Us. “And he was like, ‘Let’s not be greedy, Witney.’ He’s like, ‘OK, you need to settle down, let’s just have some fun.’ I mean, he obviously wants to do well too.”
Witney is hoping she can make Guillermo, who rose to fame as late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick, “get better every single day” and have his “personality shine” onscreen — all while he enjoys the experience.
“Obviously, I am taking care of another baby in me, and then also my two babies so this season I’m really just trying to make sure that Guillermo gets the best out of the season possible,” she said.
While balancing both her dancing career and life with her growing family, Witney is also teaming up with Chevron to promote the Chevron with Techron technology.
“I’ve really enjoyed being educated on Chevron with Techron and the fuel and the technology that it provides in cleaning your engines and it helps you get more mileage,” she said. “It’s just one less thing that I have to worry about because I think as moms, we have to think about the snacks and the food and the iPads and everything getting ready for our road trips. We just really want to focus on the memories and we want to focus on the adventure. We don’t want to focus on what’s going on underneath the hood.”
As a frequent traveler herself, Witney is also promoting the savings offer Chevron has in place for the remainder of the summer — with drivers who join Chevron Rewards between now and September 30 unlocking $1 off per gallon for up to 5 fill-ups of Chevron with Techron at every participating Chevron station.
“Chevron and myself, we’re all encouraging people to get out and make memories and travel with your family and be able to also think about your vehicle’s longevity as well,” she said. “We want people to make memories and have that time together.”
