On Monday, November 23, Kaitlyn Bristowe and her dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev, were announced as the winners of Dancing With The Stars season 29. This is the second time in a row that a previous lead of The Bachelorette has won after Hannah Brown took home the win in 2019. But Hannah and Kaitlyn's journeys on the show couldn't have been more different from one another. For starters, Hannah was able to compete on DWTS right after her season of The Bachelorette, but it was a different outcome for Kaitlyn.
Over the past few years, Kaitlyn has made it very clear that she was barred from competing on Dancing With the Stars directly after her season ended. The decision wasn't entirely logical. Many other members of Bachelor Nation have competed on the series. Way back in season eight of the show, Bachelorette Melissa Rycroft took her shot at winning the Mirrorball Trophy. Other performers from Bachelor Nation include Trista Sutter, Jake Pavelka, Sean Lowe, Nick Viall, and more.
When speaking to Variety, Kaitlyn stated she was all set to compete on season 21 of the dance competition after her season of The Bachelorette ended. But the creator of The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Mike Fleiss, did not allow her to compete. After her rejection, Kaitlyn believed her time was up and she would never be able to compete on the show. Since the start of DWTS, only three female leads of the ABC dating show have competed, whereas many male leads have appeared on the series. Why is it Kaitlyn wasn't allowed to be part of the show when first approached? Fans got that answer when she responded to a fan on Twitter asking why she didn't compete:
But what would have happened if Kaitlyn was on the show five years ago? Although Kailtyn eventually got her chance to compete, would fans still have rallied behind her if she danced immediately after her journey on The Bachelorette? Viewers may have voted for her and she may have made it far into the competition, but no previous Bachelor Nation contestants won the show up until Hannah Brown competed, so it is very likely Kaitlyn may not have won the competition five years ago.
Another big factor in DWTS is the professional dancers the celebrities are partnered with throughout the competition. Kaitlyn was partnered with Artem for Season 29, but when she was slated to compete on season 21 of the show, Artem was not one of the professionals. Therefore, Kailtyn would have been paired with a different partner, who she may not have worked well with during the competition.
While fans were excited to see Kaitlyn compete on Dancing With the Stars, the star herself was perhaps more excited. Although she was denied the opportunity years ago, it's possible the delay played a major role in her win. Who knows? Perhaps things worked out for the best in the end.
Source: Variety @kaitlynbristowe/twitter