DWTS Alum Says Alan Bersten Was ‘Very Mean’ to Her

Season 30 “Dancing With the Stars” alum Amanda Kloots may be super great friends with Alan Bersten, but their relationship didn’t start out that way.

“He was very mean to me,” Kloots said on the November 19 episode of the “Boyfriend Material” podcast. “Growing up Russian, growing up in that dance atmosphere. And he did see a lot of potential in me, and he saw that we could possibly win this thing,” she added.

Kloots admitted that Bersten would yell at her, but she decided not to complain about it.

“I would just keep it bottled up and we would just be dancing, and I would just be raging inside,” she admitted.

Kloots and Bersten made it to the semifinals and finished the competition in 4th place.

Alan Bersten Previously Said Amanda Kloots ‘Changed’ His Life

While things may have started off a little rocky, Bersten and Kloots ended up becoming really great friends.

In Kloots’ interview on the “Boyfriend Material” podcast, she credited herself with helping the DWTS pro.

“I think Alan has grown up a lot in the last couple of years. I’m saying this, and I know that he’ll agree with me: I helped him become a nicer person in teaching,” she told podcast host Harry Jowsey.

Meanwhile, about a year ago, Bersten said that the talk show how “changed” his life.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have such amazing partners,” Bersten told EW. “And one of them, Amanda Kloots, she completely changed my life, she’s just such a good friend,” he added.

Amanda Kloots Credits Alan Bersten With Helping Her Through Incredible Loss

When Kloots decided to compete on “Dancing With the Stars,” she had lost her husband, Nick Cordero a year prior. Doing the show and getting to know Bersten really helped her through that challenging time.

“I told him the other day, I said, ‘You know, this experience … how wonderful you’ve been has really helped me like bridge that gap. It’s been so nice getting to know you and feeling comfortable with you and seeing you every day and trusting you and crying with you and going for goals with you,’” she told Us Weekly in November 2021.

“I said, ‘It’s really helped me move forward in my life and that I did not expect to happen,’” she added.

Whenever Bersten and Kloots find time, they will get together. For example, in August 2023, Bersten shared an Instagram pic while on a hike with his former dance partner.