Last night on the semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars, the remaining celebrities and their pro partners prepared to perform two dances — one ballroom and one Latin — hoping to earn a spot in the DWTS finale.
As former Bachelorette Gabby Windey and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy practiced their waltz routine to Des’ree‘s “I Am Kissing You” — a song which mourns love lost — Gabby, whose breakup from fiancé Erich Schwer was revealed on 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.”
E! Online reports that, even though she’s experiencing a difficult time, Gabby looks to the positive role models in her life, telling Val, “I’m just so grateful that my dad and my stepmom encompass so many fundamentals and values that I look for in a relationship.”
As she and Val got ready to perform for the live audience, Gabby told him, “I want to channel that kind of everlasting love in this dance.”
Val and Gabby earned a perfect score of 40, receiving high praise from the entire judges’ panel.
The dancing duo also earned a perfect score later in the evening for their second dance, a paso doble, which tied them for the top spot with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and her partner Mark Ballas. They also ensured themselves a slot in the Nov. 21 DWTS finale.
Fans of Bachelor Nation suspected a breakup was brewing as far back as Halloween night, when Erich appeared to be missing from the DWTS audience and Gabby was no longer wearing her Neil Lane sparkler. Up until that night, Erich had been consistent about cheering on his fiancée from the studio audience. Their split was officially announced four days later.
Even though both Gabby and co-Bachelorette Rachel Recchia received proposals during their run on the dating show, neither will be walking down the aisle anytime soon. Rachel’s engagement to Tino Franco fell apart amid accusations of cheating, even before the finale aired. Likewise, Gabby’s betrothment lasted barely six weeks after the Season Finale.
Sadly, every rose has its thorn.
TELL US – HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING GABBY ON DWTS? WHAT DO YOU THINK HER CHANCES ARE OF WINNING THE DANCE COMPETITION?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Ricky Middlesworth]