Hilaria Baldwin Says Ale Wanted Her on ‘DWTS’ for ‘Very Long Time’ (Exclusive)

Alec Baldwin is throwing his support behind Hilaria Baldwin amid her Dancing with the Stars journey. And according to her, he has been for a while now.

Hilaria, 41, explained to PEOPLE at the premiere of DWTS season 34 on Tuesday, Sept. 16, that her husband has been a longtime advocate for her competing in the series, which she’s now doing alongside partner Gleb Savchenko.

“He’s been wanting me to do this show for a very long time, and he has been very supportive and he’s very happy for this,” Hilaria says on the night of her first performance, a Cha Cha to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez.

“I’ve supported him through a lot, and I think he’s excited to do this,” she adds of Alec, 67.

While she doesn’t have “any experience with the standard dances,” Hilaria says that she’s “nervous but also excited” for the challenges ahead.

“I think when you try something that’s brand new, it’s a little liberating because you’re like, ‘All right, I’m going to try this,'” she says. “And it’s just that different expectation. As [Gleb] says, I’m very hard on myself. And so, I’m trying to learn to chill out a little bit. And I think I’ve done a better job at relaxing.”

Alec’s support extended beyond well wishes on Tuesday, as the actor appeared both at rehearsals and in the studio audience, watching the performance come to fruition. Before the performance, Hilaria revealed she was taking her dance partner to New York City for rehearsals “to share this experience with my family.”

“She’s a hard worker,” Alec said in an interview. “This was her life until she got injured so she’s just going to give it everything she has. I’m proud of her, very proud of her.”

During the Tuesday show after Hilaria and Gleb took on the Cha Cha, the camera panned to Alec, who could be seen clapping in the crowd. Judge Derek Hough praised it as “best Cha Cha he’s ever seen from a mother of seven,” while Bruno Tonioli commended her for “using the dance as a conversation.”

Hilaria’s stepdaughter Ireland Baldwin has also given her some words of support as she takes on a stacked cast this year — including gold medalist Jordan Chiles, NBA All-Star Baron Davis and Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui.

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On Instagram before the premiere, Ireland wrote that “if people actually knew” Hilaria “the way I do, they would be quite surprised.”

“This post may come out of left field since I don’t post about her or any family members much. I expect misinformed comments and plenty of comments about me only playing nice so I can secure my inheritance,” Ireland wrote.

“C’mon, people. I see the comments. I’m not getting an inheritance. I have 7 siblings 😂,” she joked. “These thoughts have been on my mind since I last visited her on the east coast. Hilaria has had a far more complex and chaotic upbringing than she lets on and I think that’s why we’ve maybe bonded in someways? She didn’t always feel safe and seen. Sometimes, she is too loyal to a fault.”

Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC and simulcasts on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.