‘Dancing With the Stars’: Bobby Bones Says Lauren Alaina Is ‘Very Emotional’ Ahead of Season Premiere

As Dancing With the Stars gets ready to kick off Season 28 on Monday, Sept. 16, Bobby Bones remembers what that feeling is like. The award-winning radio host — and Season 27 champion — is the one who suggested Lauren Alaina join the cast of DWTS, and is now helping her with lots of advice leading up to her first time taking the dance floor in front of millions of fans.

“I have been getting a lot of ‘Can you talk?’ texts from her,” Bones admitted to One Country. “She is struggling. She is very emotional. But she’s going to be great. She is just so lovable.”

Bones vows to be in the audience for opening night, as much to cheer on Alaina as to return to his old stomping grounds.

“She is a lot like me in the way that she is coming on the show with no dance background,” Bones said. “I’ve never just watched the show as an audience member, so Monday should be really cool.”

Bones has already given Alaina plenty of words of wisdom, even before the show begins.

“I have given her about a thousand hours of advice,” Bones told Country Now. “She calls me about every night now, which is fantastic. I’m like, ‘Lauren, whatever you need, anytime.’ She’s taken me up on that.”

Alaina might be nervous about her inability to dance, but Bones feels certain Alaina will do well on the reality TV talent show.

“I was like, ‘Lauren, this show is right up your alley,’” Bones said. “She doesn’t know how to dance. I was like, ‘I don’t either.’”

“People are gonna fall in love with her,” he added. “I am Lauren Alaina all the way, me and all my people are. We’re very excited for her.”

One person who likely won’t be in the audience with Bones to watch Alaina’s debut is his pro partner last year, Sharna Burgess, who, along with Artem Chigvintsev, wasn’t asked to return this year.

“I talked to her before the cast was announced and she was telling me that she wasn’t sure who her partner would be,” Bones said. “Then I talked to her when she got the news that she wasn’t coming back, and she was just so bummed. I mean, it was so close to the season starting when she got the news.”

Season 28 of Dancing With the Stars will premiere on Monday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty images / John Shearer