Alan Bersten is clearing the air about his relationship with Giada De Laurentiis on Dancing With the Stars. The pair faced rumors of tension after the show aired a heated rehearsal exchange. Bersten now says viewers may have misinterpreted what happened between them.
Alan says frustration and time pressure fueled his tense DWTS rehearsal with Giada
Alan Bersten discussed the rumors with De Laurentiis on Danielle Fishel’s podcast. He said people may have “blown it out of proportion” and insisted they had “nothing but love for each other.” Their Week 2 intro package showed the pair arguing during rehearsal. Bersten said they had not watched the footage before performing and felt confused when people later asked about tension between them.
According to Bersten, the pressure came from learning the routine within a short time. “I think it was just that pressure of getting it, and the time crunch,” he explained. He said he saw how much De Laurentiis cared and wanted to keep improving. Bersten added that their disagreement stemmed from frustration that the dance was not coming together faster.
De Laurentiis also explained her side of the tense rehearsal. The chef said she discovered her “perfectionist” tendencies during her time on the show. She wanted to perform well for Bersten, her daughter and herself, especially because she was competing on live television. “I was frustrated with myself and my ability, or lack of,” she said.
De Laurentiis and Bersten later left the competition after their salsa to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli gave them a combined score of 12 out of 30. Bersten said their rehearsals still included plenty of fun despite the pressure. “We really did have fun in rehearsals,” he said, adding that there was no “animosity” between them.
The DWTS partners said their tense moments came from the pressure to improve, not from personal conflict.
