Charity Lawson and her Dancing with the Stars pro partner Artem Chigvintsev have responded to former DWTS winner Kaitlyn Bristowe's warning about Artem's teaching methods.
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"Look, it's all with a good intention," Artem, who was paired with Kaitlyn on a prior Dancing with the Stars season, told Us Weekly in a joint interview with Charity.
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During a recent appearance on the "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast, Kaitlyn warned Charity that Artem is "so hardcore" in rehearsals and that all the male pros on Dancing with the Stars are "d-cks."
Kaitlyn added of Artem, "He's Russian, and that's how he was trained growing up. He will believe in you and he will push you to your limits."
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But Artem's serious approach to Dancing with the Stars clearly worked for Kaitlyn, because the pair ultimately won Season 29 in 2020.
"I know sometimes when we have someone who has great potential, you want to bring it out of them. It worked for Kaitlyn -- she won the mirrorball trophy," Artem, 41, said.
And Charity, 27, pointed out that Artem is "such a great teacher." She and the other contestants have already started rehearsing for Dancing with the Stars' upcoming 32nd season, which premieres with a live two-hour episode on Tuesday, September 26 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
"[Kaitlyn] told me to have a lot of patience -- which I do -- but also that... I'm going to learn so much, and I already have," Charity shared.
In fact, Charity told Us that she "literally screamed" with excitement upon finding out that she'd be paired up with Artem for Dancing with the Stars.
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"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," Charity gushed.
But Artem admitted he feels "a bit of pressure" training Charity knowing that two former The Bachelorette stars -- Kaitlyn and Hannah Brown -- won their respective Dancing with the Stars seasons.
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The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft also won a Dancing with the Stars mirrorball trophy, and The Bachelorette alum Gabby Windey placed second on Season 31 in Fall 2022.
"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 last season did so well," Artem noted.
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"So we're just going to hopefully keep that expectation for you," the pro added.
Kaitlyn told Charity on her "Off the Vine" podcast that she thinks Dotun Olubeko's new fiancee is going to "crush" the competition.
But Kaitlyn also warned Charity, "It's a really hard thing to go through... Battle through the pain."
Kaitlyn continued, "The thing is, you've always got to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You're doing something fun, and don't forget that, because people get really caught up... in the competition of it and making it farther."
Charity's Dancing with the Stars participation was announced on The Bachelorette's Season 20 finale, which aired last month.
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But the entire Dancing with the Stars cast -- a total of 14 celebrities and their professional partners -- was formally announced Wednesday on Good Morning America.
In addition to Charity, the competing celebrities include supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford, Marvel star Xochiti Gomez, American Pie actress Alyson Hannigan, social media and Netflix star Harry Jowsey, Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix, two-time Grammy winner Jason Mraz, and NFL All-Star running back Adrian Peterson.
The remainder of the Season 32 cast is comprised of singer and social media star Lele Pons, actress Mira Sorvino, actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears, real estate mogul and reality TV star Mauricio Umansky, comedian and actor Matt Walsh, and The Brady Brunch star Barry Williams.
Dancing with the Stars will hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and co-hosted by Julianne Hough.
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The DWTS judging panel will be comprised of Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
"I think we've got one of the hottest, most epic seasons ever," Alfonso teased on GMA.