Why 'Bachelorette' Hannah Brown Joined 'DWTS': 'I'm Tired of Talking About My Dating Life' (Exclusive)
Hannah Brown is getting ready to leave Alabama behind for the ballroom!
Following the announcement that the 24-year-old former Bachelorette will compete on the upcoming 28th season of Dancing With the Stars, ET's special correspondent Rachel Smith spoke with Brown, who admitted that she's "tired of talking about my dating life," but confident about remaining in the public eye.
"I am so excited about this to continue sharing my life with America, but in a different way and that's through dance," Brown says. "So being very vulnerable and sharing my story that doesn't have to involve a man."
"I think I was put into this position for some reason and I think people need to see people with this platform being really authentic and real and showing real emotions. And I don't know how to be anything other than that. And so I'm OK with it," she adds. "If I'm gonna... have these opportunities I might as well use them to share something in common with the rest of the world and people. And that's just some days being happy, and some days being sad, and having all the in-between, and making people feel like that's OK to be."
Brown also shared that she's "talked to a few" Bachelorfranchise alums about putting on her dancing shoes -- including Nick Viall, who competed in 2017 -- as well as some of her other celeb friends.
"I've had a lot of different people," she says. "I talked to Ginger [Zee] from Good Morning America... talked to Bobby Bones... Everybody has been just very supportive."
As for the advice those DWTS alums have dished out -- Zee placed third in 2016 and Bones won the most recent season -- Brown revealed that it was all about putting in the work.
"Be ready for it to be... very hard. Some days to want to quit, but that it's going to be the best experience of your life," she recalls of their advice. "So it's kind of scary, but also I'm very excited just to have fun with it and so I can have fun. I have to have fun."
When it comes to her biggest competition in the quest for the mirrorball trophy, Brown pointed to comedian Kel Mitchell and Ally Brooke of Fifth Harmony fame.
"His dance moves, ugh. Kel is my competition. I think so. And Ally! Yeah, 'cause she's got some moves," Brown says. "But it's OK, I haven't shown all my moves just yet. I have some in my back pocket."
The new season of Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 16 on ABC.
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