New 'DWTS' Competitor Gabby Windey Reflects on Her 'Bachelorette' Experience as Rachel Recchia Sends Love

Mar. 15, 2025

Another Bachelorette heads to the ballroom!

“I feel like I’m lucky enough to have momentum,” Windey said of coming on the dancing competition series off of her run as Bachelorette. “I think I grew so much the last two seasons that now I get to really challenge myself in a different way. I think there is a lot of actual vulnerability that comes with this position, because nobody knows what you’re doing. Plus, you have to perform live. So it was good kind of building blocks for this.”

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Windey’s co-leading lady onThe BacheloretteRachel Recchia, who’d previouslyadvocated for Windey to joinDWTS, showed support for the ICU nurse’s casting on Instagram, writing on her Story Thursday, “I am absolutely bursting with happiness!!!”

Windey told reporters that she hadn’t yet reached out to former Bachelorettes andDancing with the StarswinnersHannah BrownandKaitlyn Bristowe, but added, “I definitely should. I need whatever tips I can!”

Although Windey worked for five years as a Denver Broncos cheerleader, she felt that experience “just doesn’t translate.”

“Don’t think that I have a leg up,” she warned fans, “because I’m here to tell you I don’t.”

The Illinois native has a fellow reality star on theDWTSseason 31 cast:Real Housewives of New Jersey’sTeresa Giudice. “I definitely have been trying to be next to her and on her good side and just near her,” Windey said of fangirling over the Bravo star. “But she’s not really biting.”

Windey and 26-year-old Recchia’s season finale airs Tuesday, and although Windey didn’t want to give away the ending, she teased how she feels now.

“I can say I am happy,” she said. “Bachelor’s really emotional. It was challenging in so many ways that you have to really get to know yourself, make yourself vulnerable, try and make the right decision that’s best for you at the time. So I feel like now, going into something that’s more physical, a little more fun and a challenge in a different way, I think will be a good shift of gears a little bit to kind of balance out the high emotion of my last experience. Overall, I don’t regret anything and I would do it all over again — I’m just kidding!”

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Dancing with the Starsseason 31 premieres Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ETon Disney+.

source: people.com