Key Points
Giada De Laurentiis shared that she received a lot of comments about her age while competing on Dancing With the Stars.
At 56, De Laurentiis was the oldest contestant in season 35.
While she understands why people think DWTS is a “young person’s game,” she emphasized that “it’s awesome to do no matter what age you are.”
Giada De Laurentiis is opening up about the ageism she experienced while competing on Dancing With the Stars.
After she and her pro partner Alan Bersten were eliminated in week 2 of season 35, De Laurentiis, 56, spoke with season 34 alum Danielle Fishel about being the oldest contestant this season. Fishel, 45, inquired about the celebrity chef’s experience with fans, whom the Boy Meets World alum said would remark on her and fellow contestant Elaine Hendrix’s ages throughout season 34 (Hendrix was 54 when she competed last year with Bersten).
“If you are over 40 on this show, people treat you like you might as well be on your deathbed,” Fishel quipped in an episode of Danielle With… released on Wednesday.
And De Laurentiis knows this feeling all too well, as she received constant reminders about her age during her brief run in the ballroom.
“It didn’t dawn on me until it dawned on me because everybody was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re the oldest one of everybody,'” she said.
And that fact made her a target with the Dancing With the Stars fandom, she said, because people were rallying to “get rid of her” quickly.
“I know Elaine had a lot of those same issues,” De Laurentiis said. “And they did get rid of me eventually. I mean, pretty soon, pretty quickly.”
The Giada at Home star understands why fans believe the competition is a “young person’s game.” Given the strenuous nature of the show, viewers may have the misconception that older people can’t keep up with the hard work and stamina needed for the competition.
“I think it’s awesome to do no matter what age you are,” she said. “And I think that you learn so many valuable lessons and things that you learn about yourself. You also gain a lot of self-confidence in it once you see yourself actually doing it.”
De Laurentiis believes that people “should do scary things every decade” because it’s good to continue to push oneself as one ages.
“It keeps you alive and it keeps you moving forward,” she said. “And it gives you the self-confidence that you need, because I think society kind of bangs you in the head with like, ‘You’re too old for this, you’re too old for that.’ But, like, you’re not.”
Alan Bersten and Giada De Laurentiis were eliminated in week 2 of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ season 35
Credit: Disney/Christopher Willard
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The TV personality was the third celebrity eliminated this season after earning a rough 12 out of 30 from the judges during week 2’s Viral Hits Night for their salsa to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G. Following her exit, De Laurentiis shared a video thanking her supporters and expressing pride about competing at her age.
“I just wanted to take a second and thank everybody for all their support through this journey on Dancing With the Stars,” she said on Sept. 23. “And all the moms that shared their stories. It was really, really, really inspiring. And, you know, I’m honored to represent women in their 50s trying something new. Try something that scares you because, honestly, guys, it is a rush! It is a rush.”
Listen to the full episode of Danielle With… below.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
