Amanda Kloots Was Often 'Raging Inside' onDancing with the Starsas She Regularly 'Got Yelled at' by 'Mean' Partner Alan Bersten

Mar. 15, 2025

Amanda Kloots (left); Alan Bersten (right).Photo:Jon Kopaloff/Getty; JC Olivera/Variety via Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty; JC Olivera/Variety via Getty

Amanda Kloots’Dancing with the Starsexperience doesn’t seem to have been as fun as she hoped it would be.Kloots, 42, reflected on her experience on season 30 of the hit show on the Nov. 19 episode ofHarry Jowsey’s podcastBoyfriend Material, where she admitted that her partnerAlan Berstenwas “very mean to me.““I helped him become a nicer person… in teaching,” she told Jowsey, whocompeted last season with first-time pro Rylee Arnold.Kloots thought that Bersten’s experience “growing up Russian, growing up in that Russian dance atmosphere” made him extra hard on her — but it was also because she knew she was good.“He did see a lot of potential in me and he saw that we could possibly win this thing. And I think when a pro has a star that has that potential, they can get very mean because they’re like, I could win, I wanna win.“Alan Bersten and Amanda Kloots on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty"I got yelled at,” she continued to allege. “And the thing is like — I wanted to be good. I wanted to learn. I watched that show for 29 seasons before I got on it, so I was so excited to be there. I wanted to do well. I’m a dancer.“Kloots claimed Bersten “would push me” during rehearsals and she felt like the show “would just want me to have a breakdown or something, but I knew if I had a breakdown, the producers would come in, wanna do an OTF, and then we would lose an hour of our rehearsal time.““So I would just keep it bottled up and we would just be like dancing and I would just be like raging inside,” she told Jowsey.Though Bersten “could get mean,” Kloots said they “had a blast too,” and when asked if she would ever return to the ballroom, she said, “I would go back on in a heartbeat.““I’d do it for free,” she continued. “Every year I’m like, is it all-star season yet? But yeah, I loved it.“In 2021, Bersten addressed their tense moments in rehearsals, tellingUS Weekly, “I only have the best intentions. I’m very passionate, not only about me but also Amanda… it’s not just a dancing show anymore, we’re friends, we’re family.““I want her to come out here and feel special,” he added.Alan Bersten, Amanda Kloots on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Eric McCandless/ABC via GettyKloots and Jowsey, 27, also weighed in on who they think will take home theLen Goodman Mirrorball Trophythis season, with Kloots predictingChandler Kinneywhile Jowsey predictedJoey Graziadei.“I think it’ll be down to those two,” Kloots agreed.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The season 33 finale ofDancing with the Starsairs Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.

Amanda Kloots’Dancing with the Starsexperience doesn’t seem to have been as fun as she hoped it would be.

Kloots, 42, reflected on her experience on season 30 of the hit show on the Nov. 19 episode ofHarry Jowsey’s podcastBoyfriend Material, where she admitted that her partnerAlan Berstenwas “very mean to me.”

“I helped him become a nicer person… in teaching,” she told Jowsey, whocompeted last season with first-time pro Rylee Arnold.

Kloots thought that Bersten’s experience “growing up Russian, growing up in that Russian dance atmosphere” made him extra hard on her — but it was also because she knew she was good.

“He did see a lot of potential in me and he saw that we could possibly win this thing. And I think when a pro has a star that has that potential, they can get very mean because they’re like, I could win, I wanna win.”

Alan Bersten and Amanda Kloots on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

“I got yelled at,” she continued to allege. “And the thing is like — I wanted to be good. I wanted to learn. I watched that show for 29 seasons before I got on it, so I was so excited to be there. I wanted to do well. I’m a dancer.”

Kloots claimed Bersten “would push me” during rehearsals and she felt like the show “would just want me to have a breakdown or something, but I knew if I had a breakdown, the producers would come in, wanna do an OTF, and then we would lose an hour of our rehearsal time.”

“So I would just keep it bottled up and we would just be like dancing and I would just be like raging inside,” she told Jowsey.

Though Bersten “could get mean,” Kloots said they “had a blast too,” and when asked if she would ever return to the ballroom, she said, “I would go back on in a heartbeat.”

“I’d do it for free,” she continued. “Every year I’m like, is it all-star season yet? But yeah, I loved it.”

In 2021, Bersten addressed their tense moments in rehearsals, tellingUS Weekly, “I only have the best intentions. I’m very passionate, not only about me but also Amanda… it’s not just a dancing show anymore, we’re friends, we’re family.”

“I want her to come out here and feel special,” he added.

Alan Bersten, Amanda Kloots on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

Kloots and Jowsey, 27, also weighed in on who they think will take home theLen Goodman Mirrorball Trophythis season, with Kloots predictingChandler Kinneywhile Jowsey predictedJoey Graziadei.

“I think it’ll be down to those two,” Kloots agreed.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The season 33 finale ofDancing with the Starsairs Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.

source: people.com