Season 31 Contestant Makes Surprising Confession About DWTS

Disney Plus 'Dancing With the Stars' season 31

“Dancing With the Stars” season 31 contestant Jessie James Decker has made a rather surprising confession about being on the show — she actually thought it was going to be easier than it is.

Read on to find out what else she revealed about her time on “Dancing With the Stars” in a new interview:

Jessie James Decker Thought ‘Dancing With the Stars’ ‘Was Going to Be Easier’

Oftentimes, “Dancing With the Stars” contestants think the show turns out to be harder than they thought it would be. Just this week on “Good Morning America” on October 11, in fact, host Michael Strahan commented during Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke’s exit interview that every NFL player he has spoken with who appeared on the show said it was the hardest thing they’ve ever done — and they play professional football.

But current season 31 contestant country singer Jessie James Decker told Fox News in a new interview that she feels like she’s floundering a bit because she thought the show would be easier, though she doesn’t mind the challenge.

“It’s been a good challenge, but I have no dance background. I’ve never taken dance lessons before. And so I really feel like I’ve been a fish out of water trying to figure out what all of this means, like certain footwork and techniques. Like I genuinely have no idea what I’m doing. And I think I thought it was going to be easier,” said the singer.

But she went on to say that she is enjoying the improvement she sees every week and getting to explore a side of her she’s never explored before — but she did confess she’s a little mad at her “little girl self” for not taking dance lessons.

“I’m realizing every day that I’m having breakthrough moments where I feel like I’m starting to absorb some of the information. But it’s so much harder than you think it is,” said Decker. “I’m like, mad at my little girl self for not taking dance lessons to at least have some sort of idea of what the heck I’m doing. But you know what? I’m learning as quickly as I humanly can. And I do know that looking back, this is going to be an experience that I will cherish, because this is so unique, so much fun, and it’s a side of me I’ve never explored.”

Decker Also Called ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Part of Her ‘Therapy Journey’

In June 2022, Decker shared an emotional Instagram post where she revealed that she struggles with body image issues and she’s disappointed that her career has not taken off the way she wanted it to.

Decker wrote:

I have definitely struggled these past couple years. My anxiety has gotten worse, my self-esteem, my confidence.

It’s been a little worse lately where I just break down and cry. I’ve been battline some body image issues, and when I really think about it, I probably always have. I go from one extreme of being obsessed with working out and being muscular and thin to just giving up and gaining because food makes me feel better and then ultimately, it’s a cycle that just gets worst again.

I’ve also been struggling with the challenges I face in my career. I’ve been wanting to be a country singer since I was 9 years old and sometimes, I feel like I’m constantly in a battle with the rest of the industry to prove to them that I’m not just a TV personality or an influencer because that has outshined my music.

In her interview with Fox News, Decker said that going on “Dancing With the Stars” has been a big step on her “therapy journey” of mental health improvement.

“This has been a part of my therapy journey to just push myself to do something that scares me and dance in front of millions and millions of people doing something I’ve never done before,” said Decker. “Having my body painted gold from head to toe. I definitely had moments where I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ But I feel like I just have a new outlook on being in this entertainment business of going, ‘You know what, I’m in it, and I’m going to push myself, and I’m not going to be scared anymore, and I’m going to be strong, and I’m going to have that attitude every day. And I just – I feel better every day for it.”

“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time on Disney Plus.