ET spoke with the 'Selling Sunset' following her week 2 performance with Gleb Savchenko Tuesday night.
Chrishell Stause couldn't be happier about her week 2 performance on Dancing With the Stars.
The Selling Sunset star and her pro partner, Gleb Savchenko, performed a breathtaking Rumba set to "This is Me" by Keala Settle and The Greatest Showman ensemble Tuesday night. The duo received a total score of 18/30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, a major improvement from the 13/30 they earned for their premiere night performance.
While Chrishell and Gleb have certainly been working hard in rehearsals, the reality star told ET she credits her late mother for cheering her on in spirit and leading her to victory. She also thanked Gleb for telling her not to watch the emotional package that played before they danced. The pre-taped footage featured Chrishell filling Gleb in on her challenging childhood, recalling what it was like being homeless at one point.
"I didn't listen to the package. I think if I had watched it, I would've probably felt pressure," Chrishell, 39, told ET's Lauren Zima in a Zoom interview following the show. "But I have a superpower. My mom, she is with me. I thought of that literally as we were about to go out and it just calmed me down."
"I remember that day shooting with him, so I have an idea of what [the package] would be about, but I really didn't listen," she added. "I just really focused in on that she was there, kept me calm, and it was so amazing. I was able to, I just really enjoyed it."
ET reported back in July that Chrishell's mother died after a battle with lung cancer. She would have celebrated another birthday on Sept. 16, the same day Gleb turned 37.
"It's hard for me to talk about it without being emotional but she is the first person that would have wanted me to do the show," Chrishell shared. "It's emotional, it's touching. I just know I'm where I'm supposed to be and I can't tell you what that means in words."
Chrishell believes that "you're never really done grieving someone," but told ET that dancing has been very therapeutic for her following her tumultuous year.
"When I'm doing these kind of things it helps me put on a happy face and be brave," she explained. "And the show does push you to talk about things that you don't normally talk about openly. I think that is a good therapy because I do need to fully go into those emotions."
"I'm trying to process it," she continued. "It's hard to talk about for me, because it's still a very emotional thing, but I'm a work in progress."
Tune into Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday to hear more from Chrishell and Gleb, and their fellow season 29 contestants.
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