Why Giada De Laurentiis Finally Said Yes to ‘DWTS’ After Turning It Down 10 Times

Giada De Laurentiis is entering the ballroom!

The Food Network star, 56, was announced as one of the contestants, opposite pro Alan Bersten, ahead of Dancing with the Stars‘ 35th season, and while she’s a welcome addition to the show, it took some convincing to get the celebrity chef to join.

Speaking to E! News ahead of the DWTS cast reveal, De Laurentiis said it was ultimately her 18-year-old daughter, Jade, whom she shares with ex-husband Todd Thompson, who inspired her to lace up her dance shoes.

“Funny enough, Dancing With the Stars has come to me maybe 10 times over the years,” De Laurentiis shared. “And I was always like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.'”

With Jade starting college this fall, the Everyday Italian author said it was finally the perfect time to trade the kitchen for the dance floor.

“This time, I thought, with my daughter pushing me and with my daughter out of my house,” she explained, “This is a really good time for me to go on a new adventure and push myself to do something I’ve never done.”

“And hopefully, I won’t regret it!” the Giada at Home alum quipped.

While she’s fully on board now, De Laurentiis admitted she even tried to back out after saying yes, telling the outlet: “Right before I dropped her off, I was like, ‘I can’t. This is just too much.’ And she’s like, ‘Mom! Pull up your boots and let’s go. Get it together.'”

In addition to De Laurentiis, season 35’s star-studded cast includes: Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali, Taylor Hanson, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Connor Wood, Sarah Jane Nader, Tyler Cameron, Harry Shum Jr., Conner Leavitt, Guillermo Rodriguez, Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller and Jackson Olson.

As for how dance rehearsals compare to whipping up an Italian feast, De Laurentiis called it “totally different.”

“I do not have a stove. I do not have any of my tricks and any of my tools in my toolbox. So this is way, way out of my comfort zone,” she said, adding that she’s up for the challenge, especially knowing she has Bersten, 32, who finished fifth with partner Elaine Hendrix last season, by her side.

“I already learned a lot, and I already have a lot of sore muscles, muscles I didn’t even know I did,” De Laurentiis joked. “I’m trying to tell myself even at this stage, you can do something new. You can conquer something new.”

Bersten has also been a source of encouragement for the professional cook, telling De Laurentiis in the joint interview with the outlet, “You’re gonna learn so much. It’s gonna be amazing.”