Olivia Jade Giannulli Admits ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Is More Difficult Than Rowing

Social media influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli, the daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, has quickly learned that preparing for Dancing With The Stars is no easy task. The 21-year-old will compete for the mirror ball trophy in Season 30, which kicks off on ABC Monday. The show will give Giannulli a chance to re-introduce herself to a wider audience after her parents were jailed in connection with the 2019 college admissions scandal.

“I would not consider myself a dancer by any means, but it’s so much more work than you really anticipate with the dedication and the patience you have to have with yourself,” Giannulli told PEOPLE before the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas Friday. The pro dancers might make it look “effortless and easy,” but one rehearsing starts and they teach the steps, “it’s way harder than I ever though,” Giannulli said. “But what I will say is the pros do such a good job.” She went on to note that she is already seeing ” a few muscles show up in my back” that were not there before.

Loughlin, 57, and Mossimo, 58, were arrested in connection to Operation Varsity Blues, a federal investigation into a college bribery scheme. The Full House actress and her husband allegedly paid William Rick Singer $500,000 so Giannulli and older daughter Isabella Rose Giannulli, 23, could be admitted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits even though they didn’t participate in rowing. Last year, Loughlin and Giannulli agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the scandal. Loughlin served two months in prison from October to December 2020, while Mossimo began his five-month sentence in November 2020. In April, he completed his sentence while under house arrest.

Her connection to the scandal will make Giannulli a target of criticism during DWTS, but Giannulli believes she should get a second chance. During an appearance on PEOPLE (The TV Show!), Giannulli said she was “not proud of the past,” and said she continues to “evolve” as a person. “Obviously I wish I could go back in time and kind of do a lot of stuff, but I think it’s kind of important to me now to just keep learning and see where the world takes me,” she said.

Dancing With The Stars Season 30 begins on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Tyra Banks is returning as the host, with Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman as the judges.