Kaitlyn Bristowe Is *Finally* Joining ‘DWTS’ & She's Already Practicing With Her BF

Kaitlyn Bristowe is finally trading her Bachelorette gowns for dancing shoes. Shortly after a condensed version of her season of The Bachelorette aired on Monday, June 15, host Chris Harrison revealed that Kaitlyn Bristowe will compete on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. "I honestly just had zero idea, and I love that it caught my genuine reaction," the former dance instructor told Entertainment Tonight about learning the big news on national TV. "I love that I will always be able to look back on that moment and it was really, really special."

However, the Dancing With the Stars opportunity is "special" to Bristowe for another reason. Back in March 2017, she claimed that former Bachelorette producer Mike Fleiss told her she "wasn't allowed" to compete on DWTS. "I am a dancer and wanted to do it," Bristowe told ET at the time, claiming that Fleiss forced her to turn down an offer to compete on the reality show. "I told Mike it was my passion. I was told [former fiancé Shawn Booth] should be my only passion."

And now that she's finally getting the chance to compete, Bristowe feels like a "wrong" has officially been righted. "I just think it goes to show if you really are into it and you are strong with what you believe in and fight for what you want — and as long as you are a good person doing those things — even if it takes five years, something good will come from it," she explained.

Adding that she and Fleiss "bumped heads" a few times, Bristowe continued, "I did go through a point where I was super frustrated because these male leads kept getting it, and I was told I couldn't." She will be just the third former Bachelorette to compete on the DWTS — following Trista Sutter in 2005 and Hannah Brown in 2019 — while four former Bachelors have appeared on the competition over the years.

While Bristowe admitted that she eventually made peace with the fact that she wasn't able to be on DWTS, she's now just thrilled to see one of her dreams come true. "I'll be happy with whoever they partner me with," she told ET, though she cited Derek Hough and Gleb Savchenko as her favorites. "I just feel like they're all incredible. They have to be to be on that show. So, my [new] dream partner could be just whoever they put me with."

Whoever she ends up getting paired with will likely be delighted by the fact that Bristowe has already started practicing for Season 29. Shortly after being asked to compete on DWTS, Bristowe shared an Instagram video of herself and boyfriend Jason Tartick, dancing around their living room to celebrate. "Actual footage from after I found out I'm on DWTS," she captioned the clip, which featured an elaborate handshake and Tartick lifting her up in triumph.

"Kaitlyn decided to forgo college to pursue dance, her dream was to always dance with professionals," Tartick wrote in an Instagram post of his own, to celebrate his girlfriend's DWTS casting. "5 years later from making her debut on ABC we’re heading to LA to make that dream come true. Mirror ball or not, you did it again ... checked another box off your bucket list! And I’m freakin here for it!" No wonder it feels so "right" for Bristowe to finally hit the dance floor.