Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has suffered a toe injury while rehearsing for season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, she revealed on social media.
The 56-year-old Food Network star posted a video showing her discolored and bruised middle toe ahead of the premiere of the ABC reality competition series on Sept. 15.
In the clip posted to Instagram on Sept. 7, De Laurentiis appeared alongside her professional dance partner Alan Bersten to update fans on their rehearsal progress.
"So I had a great day at rehearsals today," De Laurentiis shared in the video, "but sadly, I busted my toe."
The television chef then provided a close-up view of her damaged foot, explaining that the bruising wrapped completely around the toe.
"You can see, it's quite purple, and it wraps all the way around," De Laurentiis said in the clip. "I'm for sure gonna lose my toenail I think."
Despite the painful setback, De Laurentiis vowed to return to the dance studio the following day to continue perfecting her footwork with Bersten.
"Anyway, I don't know, It hurts," she concluded in her video message. "But, we'll figure it out tomorrow. Part of the game."
Sharing the video on her profile, the culinary star captioned the post: "You know what they say... no pain, no gain."
Dancing With the Stars is a popular long-running American reality competition show broadcast on ABC, in which famous personalities are paired with professional ballroom dancers to compete for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.
Deciding to join the ballroom
De Laurentiis previously revealed she finally found the courage to swap the kitchen for the ballroom thanks to encouragement from her 18-year-old daughter Jade, whom she shares with ex-husband Todd Thompson.
Speaking exclusively to E! News, the chef admitted producers of the ABC show had approached her on numerous occasions over the years before she finally accepted.
"Funny enough, Dancing With the Stars has come to me maybe 10 times over the years," De Laurentiis said. "And I was always like, 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.'"
However, with her daughter, whom she describes as her forever sous chef, starting college this autumn, De Laurentiis decided the timing was right to embrace a fresh challenge.
The television star is the granddaughter of the famed Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis.
"This time, I thought, with my daughter pushing me and with my daughter out of my house," she explained. "This is a really good time for me to go on a new adventure and push myself to do something I've never done."
She acknowledged that the grueling practice schedule has already created physical strain across her body.
"I already learned a lot and I already have a lot of sore muscles, muscles I didn't even know I did," she jokingly added. "I'm trying to tell myself even at this stage, you can do something new. You can conquer something new."
Celebrity contestants competing for season 35
De Laurentiis and Bersten are warming up alongside a full roster of celebrity pairings competing for the Mirrorball Trophy ahead of the Sept. 15 season premiere on ABC.
The lineup includes film star Julia Stiles, famous for her lead role in the 1999 teen romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, who is saving the last dance for her professional partner Ezra Sosa.
De Laurentiis is cha-cha-chopping away with Alan Bersten as the celebrity chef turns up the heat on the dance floor.
Glee actor Harry Shum Jr. is bringing his musical talents to the dance floor paired with pro dancer Jenna Johnson.
Former 1990s teen heartthrob Taylor Hanson, member of the pop-rock band Hanson, hopes to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard with partner Britt Stewart.
Tatyana Ali, best known for playing Ashley Banks on the hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will showcase her fresh moves alongside pro Jan Ravnik.
Dancer and actress Jenna Dewan, two decades after starring in the 2006 dance drama movie Step Up, is stepping up to the challenge with pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
Amber Glenn, a 2026 Olympic figure skater, is taking her athletic skills from the ice to the ballroom alongside partner Pasha Pashkov.
Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech will demonstrate his athleticism on the dance floor partnered with Daniella Karagach.
Reality stars and TV personalities in the lineup
Sarah Jane Nader, star of Love Thy Nader, is trying her hand in the ballroom with partner Hailey Bills after her sister Brooks Nader previously competed on season 33.
Comedian Connor Wood, known online to his followers as Fibula, is preparing to earn applause on the dance floor paired with pro Rylee Arnold.
Conner Leavitt, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is following in the footsteps of his wife Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34, partnering with Adele Zaikman.
Tyler Cameron, a star from Bachelor Nation, is trading in roses for rumbas as he takes to the floor with professional partner Sharna Burgess.
Jackson Olson, a baseball player for the Savannah Bananas exhibition team, is stepping up to the plate to bring his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom with pro Emma Slater.
Guillermo Rodriguez, the beloved sidekick from late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is ready to learn new dance moves alongside partner Witney Carson.
Summer House star Ciara Miller is prepping for her turn in the ballroom with partner Brandon Armstrong.
Speaking exclusively to E! News in June, Miller opened up about her stamina preparations ahead of the competition.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Miller told E! News. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Love Island UK alum Maura Higgins is hoping her passion for the show translates to success alongside partner Mark Ballas after manifesting the opportunity.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," Higgins exclusively told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all."
"I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year," Higgins explained. "Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
