The semi-finals of Dancing With the Stars brought a heartbreaking double elimination—and Gabby Windey opening up about her own broken heart.
The Nov. 14 episode tasked the remaining celebs and their pro partners with performing two dances—one ballroom, one Latin—for a spot in the DWTS finale.
As Gabby and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy prepared their waltz routine to Des’ree‘s “I Am Kissing You,” the Bachelorette star—whose breakup from fiancé Erich Schwer was revealed Nov. 4—explained why it meant so much to her.
“For me, it holds a special place because I did just go through a breakup,” Gabby said. “The end of our relationship happened because we weren’t completely in step and in sync with each other on our common goals or just the way we approach life. We weren’t each other’s best match.”
While dancing through an admittedly difficult time, Gabby pointed to the positive role models in her life as inspiration, telling Maksim, ”I’m just so grateful that my dad and my stepmom encompass so many fundamentals and values that I look for in a relationship.”