Wayne Brady’s Emotionally Charged Reasons for Competing in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 31
Wayne Brady has been doing improv comedy for more than three decades, but the Dancing with the Stars Season 31 competitor is also human. That means imposter syndrome creeps up on him like it does to the rest of us. Find out how the performer has combated those feelings competing on DWTS, plus the reason he agreed to do the show aside from celebrating his late grandmother’s life.
Wayne Brady could be who wins ‘Dancing with the Stars’ 2022
Brady is among the eight competitors left in season 31 of Dancing with the Stars. From the beginning, many fans have felt Brady was a frontrunner in the competition. Many times he and his partner Witney Carson have been at the top of the leaderboard tied with Charli D’Amelio (and her partner Mark Ballas) and The Bachelorette star Gabby Windey (and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy).
After the double elimination during 90s Night on Nov. 7, the remaining couples will head into the semi-finals. Here’s who remains in the competition with Brady at publication:
- Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas
- Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvintsev
- Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater
- Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart
- Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki
- Shangela and Gleb Savchenko
- Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy
‘Let’s Make a Deal’ host opens up about imposter syndrome
Speaking with Very Well Mind about why he chose to do Dancing with the Stars, Brady spoke of the “imposter syndrome” he sometimes feels. “[It’s] a challenge to show up and to learn a new skill set and … even as long as I’ve been a performer, I deal with issues of self-worth,” he told the outlet. “I deal with issues of … impostor syndrome. I deal with expectations.” Regardless, he has managed to quiet those doubts, show up, and impress fans and the DWTS judges alike over the last seven weeks.
Wayne Brady hopes his ‘Dancing with the Stars’ appearance ‘inspires’ others
Brady hopes that by starting these conversations and creating awareness about his all-too-relatable feelings, he can help someone. “… Say that if I feel this way, and I’m willing to expose myself and my process by doing this dance show and showing you what it really feels like off camera, and then boom, look what I’m doing on camera,” he continued. “If that can help inspire somebody, then my job is complete.”
The improv comedian concluded:
“[This] isn’t the beautiful end of a story and then I’m fine…it is a work in progress. And there are some days when you feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve just been to the emotional gym and I feel great,’ and there are other days when you don’t want to get out of bed and you isolate, so if I can help inspire by sharing my journey, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Wayne Brady, Very Well Mind
Wayne Brady’s grandmother also inspired him to join the season 31 cast
Dancing with the Stars requests certain celebrities to be on the show, despite the countless celebs who write to producers asking for a spot. When the DWTS Season 31 cast was first announced, Brady admitted he had been asked to participate before but turned the opportunity down.
His grandmother’s death inspired him to finally join the show. “My grandmother passed,” the actor told Good Morning America in September 2022. “She loved the show, so I’m dedicating this season to her and I just want to have fun for her.”
There are only three episodes of Dancing with the Stars left. Tune in to Disney+ on Monday nights beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT to see who takes home the Mirrorball Trophy.
