Jenna Johnson Reveals She and 'Dream Partner' Joey Graziadei 'Immediately Connected' as 'DWTS' Partners: 'He Trusts Me'
Sept. 9 2024, Published 8:05 a.m. ET
Jenna Johnson will be appearing on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars — and she couldn't be more thrilled!
"I'm so excited to be back on the show. It's my dream job — it really is! And then to be partnered with somebody like [Bachelor star] Joey Graziadei is amazing. He's a dream partner. He's not a dancer, but he has a lot of enthusiasm to learn how to dance, and he's just such a hardworking, humble kind of person. We just started rehearsals, but I look forward to teaching him because of his energy and excitement to be on the show and learn how to dance," the dancer, 30, exclusively tells OK! while talking about her partnership with Exuviance and her favorite product exuviance® Performance Peel AP25.
"He definitely trusts me, which is nice because this is a foreign thing for him," she adds. "Obviously there's a fear since he hasn't been on a stage and performed before. So, I'm like, 'How is he going to react?' But I do love that he's willing to absorb all of it up right now, and he has no ego when it comes to dancing. I can't wait to see how he picks up on all the different styles!"
Johnson was "excited" when she first heard she'd be with the reality star, 29. "We immediately connected," she notes. "We just had a good understanding of one another, and I was like, 'OK, I think we're going to work well together, this will be great.'"
The brunette babe, who was last on DWTS when she was partnered with model Tyson Beckford for 2023's Season 32, always loves being back with her costars.
"It feels like a reunion every year when we return to the show. There's no other outlet in my life that lets me be my most creative self. As an artist, this is just an empty slate and we have to start painting. As a creator, it gives me chills thinking about because I can't wait to start doing our dances and routines and start thinking of concepts, so it's really exciting prepping for it!" she notes.
On this season of the ABC series, fans will get to see Tori Spelling, Anna Delvey, Eric Roberts, Brooks Nader, Reginald VelJohnson, Dwight Howard and more attempt to win the mirrorball trophy.
"I have three brothers who are all very into sports and very into basketball, so the fact that Dwight Howard is on was a big deal for them," she shares. "I sent them a video and got some props! We also have some legendary actors like Eric Roberts and Reginald VelJohnson. I'm excited for my parents to watch them dance — they're going to be so excited!"
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"I'm excited about this cast specifically because I feel like they're all coming in with a similar experience of dance, which is not a ton," Johnson, who shares son Rome with DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy, adds. "That makes me excited to see who can learn the moves! It's going to get super interesting each week and we'll see who rises and falls. I can't wait!"
In the meantime, the mom-of-one feels more confident than ever returning to the series, as she's been using her favorite product exuviance® Performance Peel AP25.
"I'm so excited about my partnership with Exuviance. I love this brand so much. I am really, really passionate about partnering with people that I know that have the same standards and values that I do. I'm also so passionate about skincare just because I have gone through my ups and downs with my own skincare insecurities and breakouts, and so this has been a fun way to get the word out there about this awesome brand — but also to tell my story and my journey with skincare," she shares. "The hero product exuviance® Performance Peel AP25 is a glycolic peel that's professional level that you can do at home, and you can do it twice a week. You will love the results that you're about to see when you take this product."
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"I started using the products consistently and saw changes and transformations, and I was like, 'I need more of this!' Especially with my line of work and having to wear heavy makeup all the time and sweating throughout the day and at rehearsals, it's been game-changing for my skin — from their lotions to their cleansers, it's been great. They also have a foot balm — Exuviance Exfoliating & Conditioning Foot Balm — which will be amazing throughout this season of Dancing With the Stars. I'm like, 'I'm set for all of my calluses and blisters!'" she adds.