Tori Spelling found herself at 51 on DWTS in the midst of a “public divorce”

Tori Spelling finds healing as a candidate on Dancing with the stars.

During the season 33 premiere on Tuesday, September 17, Spelling, 51, told her partner: Pasha Pashkovthat she has missed the opportunity to appear on the reality competition series every year for the past 32 seasons. When asked what was different this time, Spelling pointed to her and Dean McDermott's divorce.

“[Turning] 50 hit and my life exploded. I'm going through a really public divorce,” said the Beverly Hills, 90210 Alum explained: “I’m really trying to find myself again.”

Spelling filed for divorce from 57-year-old McDermott in March after nearly 18 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

“Everything I thought I was burned down,” she told cameras about the separation.

When given the task of choosing her personal anthem to dance to during the premiere episode, Spelling chose “Trustfall” by P!nkand said: “If I fall, I will catch myself because I trust myself.”

The actress then gave her best in her and Pashkov’s foxtrot. Although the jury gave some feedback – Derek Hough called the performance “a little stiff” during Bruno Tonioli Spelling said she had “a lot of work ahead of her” – Spelling beamed as she spoke to the co-host Julianne Hough after the dance.

“I found it! It only took me 51 years,” Spelling said of her reconnection with herself, clenching her fist in triumph. She then jumped up and down excitedly, noting that appearing on the show “really made me [her] comfort zone.”

Spelling has five children with McDermott: Liam, 17, Stella, 16, Hattie, 12, Finn, 12, and Beau, 7. In an episode of her podcast “misSPELLING” in April, Spelling talked about a fear that kept her from filing for divorce sooner.

“One of my biggest fears, and this is perhaps what has made me stay longer, is that I feel like in our world it's difficult to be with a man without him feeling emasculated,” she said. “I feel guilty. How am I ever going to be with a man who doesn't just feel less worthy than me because of my status?”

Spelling is not the only person to appear in this season of Dancing with the stars. Jenn Tranwho just revealed to her and her ex-fiancé Devin StraderDivision during The Bachelorette: After the last rose beginning of the month, also takes part.

“I really felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest,” said 26-year-old Tran during the DWTS Premiere of her and Strader's separation. “Now I'm here and I want to get a little revenge.”

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Not all breakups in Bachelor Nation are as beautiful as a rose. Colton Underwood and fellow Bachelor season 23 winner Cassie Randolph, for example, vowed to remain friends when they made their split public in May 2020. Things quickly turned sour after Colton threw shade at Cassie's decision to do an interview with Chris Harrison during Bachelor season. […]

While the Bachelor Nation star added that she “just wants to be independent,” the judge said Derek Hough could not help but point out that Tran and her partner, Sasha Farbermake a great couple.

“Forget The Bachelorettee because you have found your perfect partner here with Sasha,” said Hough, 39, after the duo’s Cha Cha to “Flowers” ​​by Miley Cyrus. “You are all, well, adorable.”

Dancing with the stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream episodes the next day on Disney+.