Alix Earle Shares Advice from Braxton Berrios Before ‘DWTS’ Debut (Exclusive)
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NEED TO KNOW
- Alix Earle’s boyfriend, Braxton Berrios, wasn’t able to attend the live taping of Dancing with the Stars‘ season premiere, during which Earle made her performance debut
- Following her first dance with partner Val Chmerkovskiy on Sept. 16, the influencer told PEOPLE that she and Berrios connected over the phone earlier that day
- While the NFL star was absent, Earle’s family was there to cheer her on and provide in-person support from the audience
Alix Earle received some words of wisdom from her NFL star boyfriend, Braxton Berrios, before she made her debut on Dancing with the Stars.
The Houston Texans player, 29, didn’t attend the live taping of the show’s season 34 premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 16. However, Earle, 24, tells PEOPLE that they shared a meaningful moment beforehand on the phone, and Berrios compared her pre-show nerves to the way he feels before football games.
“I called him on the way [to Dancing with the Stars], just feeling nervous and unsure and uncertain,” says Earle. “He assured me that feeling nervous is a privilege, and it’s okay to be outside of your comfort zone.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
She adds, “He always says this before every game — it’s like, if you’re nervous, you’re doing something right, and I don’t know, getting out of your comfort zone. So it was nice to have him just reassure me of that.”
The influencer expresses her appreciation for Berrios’ consistently “supportive” attitude and his apt advice. “I mean, he deals with these live things and live performances every week, so it’s always good to get some advice from him,” she says.
Earle previously told PEOPLE that Berrios wouldn’t be there to watch her and her pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy on night one due to a clash in their schedules.
“He’s stuck in football world right now, so unfortunately he won’t be able to come,” Earle said of Berrios at a press event following the cast reveal on Sept. 3.
While Berrios wasn’t in attendance, Earle did have her family in the crowd to keep her grounded and cheer her on. Speaking to PEOPLE on the night of the premiere, she admits that she expected their presence to stir up a little distress, but they ultimately boosted her during her ballroom debut.
“I honestly thought I was going to be nervous having them there because they do humble me the most at times. If I mess up, they’ll be the first ones to tell me if something doesn’t look good,” Earle shares. “But they were so great, so supportive, and I think going out there tonight and looking at them before smiling and just cheering me on, it did give me a lot of confidence going out there.”
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
