Tyler Cameron Is Taking Mom’s Advice To ‘DWTS’

Tyler Cameron is finally taking his late mother’s advice to the ballroom.

Cameron revealed that the competition is much more than learning choreography. He says his mother would have encouraged him to take the opportunity and would have been thrilled watching him perform.

Tyler Cameron lost his mom, Andrea Cameron, in 2020 after she suffered a sudden brain aneurysm at 55. In 2022, he dedicated “The Real Dancing Dirty” to his mother. 

Cameron revealed that his “Dancing With the Stars” journey is dedicated to his late mother. He said Andrea would have pushed him to join the show after encouraging him toward reality television. She first suggested “Dancing With the Stars” when he landed “The Bachelorette.”

“I mean, mine’s for my mom,”  he said. He also explained that competing was about honoring Andrea and making her proud. Andrea died in 2020 after suffering a sudden brain aneurysm at age 55. The dancer had appeared on Hannah Brown’s “Bachelorette” season in 2019 and finished as the runner-up. 

In an interview with Us Magazine after the September 15 premiere, Cameron said he wished Andrea could watch him. “This would have made my mom probably the happiest I could have ever made [her],” he said.

Cameron competed alongside professional dancer Sharna Burgess during the premiere. Their fiery tango to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” earned 17 points out of 30. He called the performance “incredible.” “I can’t wait for next week,” he added.

The Dancer’s Mom Pushed Him To Take Risks

Cameron has previously described his mother as his “biggest supporter” and “best friend.” She encouraged him to take risks instead of avoiding opportunities. “She was the one who told me to go do The Bachelorette,” he said in the earlier interview.

He also remembered how much she enjoyed dancing and always joined him when they went out. That made his decision to participate in “The Real Dirty Dancing” especially personal.

The 33-year-old said his mom was always encouraging him to have fun and go for opportunities. He revealed that when he joined “The Real Dirty Dancing,” he viewed the show as another way to make her proud. The FOX series gave him an opportunity to recreate the magic of the 1987 film through dance.

He joined seven other celebrities for the four-week competition and learned routines inspired by the movie. His participation later became part of the dance experience he brought into his current ballroom journey.

In 2022, PEOPLE reported that Cameron dedicated “The Real Dirty Dancing” to Andrea. “My mom’s always pushing me to take risks and go for it,” he said, adding that he was doing the show to make her proud.

Tyler Cameron Dance History Started In College

The reality star’s dancing history began in college. He earned a dance minor at Wake Forest University after struggling academically during his first semester. His coach encouraged him to take dance classes to improve his GPA.

His classes included ballet and jazz, although the dancer insisted he was not naturally talented. He remembered giving maximum effort while producing what he jokingly described as terrible pirouettes. The experience nevertheless helped improve his grades and introduced him to dance.

Years later, Cameron returned to dancing through “The Real Dirty Dancing.” That show lasted only about two weeks and gave him another chance to perform. However, he does not believe that experience fully prepared him for “Dancing With the Stars.”

The Blast shared that the “Bachelor Nation” star considers the current competition a completely different challenge. On the “Get Real” podcast, he said “The Real Dirty Dancing” was only “one-fifth” of what he is doing now. He summed up the difference clearly. “That was, like, a two-week show, but this is the real deal,” he said.

Cameron And Other Dancers Are Facing The Ringer Drama

The dancer’s previous dance experience has also put him in the middle of the ongoing “DWTS” ringer debate. He has trained in multiple dance styles and previously performed on another dance-focused reality show.

He revealed that he doesn’t believe that the ballroom presents an entirely different challenge. Cameron is competing alongside professional dancer Sharna Burgess. The partnership also marks Burgess’ first competitive ballroom appearance since 2021. 

Professional dancer Jenna Johnson has also argued that previous dance experience does not automatically prepare contestants for “DWTS.” She pointed to the pressure of performing live before millions of viewers. Contestants must also learn ballroom techniques within only a few days.

She also noted that athletic ability, musicality, acting, and fan support can create different advantages. Her point was that every celebrity still faces the unfamiliar pressure of the actual competition. Julia Stiles is reportedly also competing after playing a ballet dancer in “Save the Last Dance.”

Tyler Cameron’s Family Is His Motivation

In 2020, during an Instagram live for a segment of #CoachVenus x EleVen, the former “Bachelorette” shared how life had been since his mother’s death. “I just lost my mom not too long ago, so now my motivation is to take care of my brothers,” he said.

“My little brothers and my dad,” Cameron told Venus Williams when asked about his biggest motivation. The professional dancer also said he was grateful to be in a position to help his family. The reality star shared a video showing the family’s final goodbye as Andrea was taken into surgery for organ donation.

“We did the walk of honor with her as she proceeded to the OR to have surgery to donate her organs,” he shared. He described his mother as the family’s “rock” and “nucleus.”

PEOPLE reported in April 2020 that Cameron said his mother gave an “ultimate gift” by donating her liver. The family later started a charity in her honor, with more than 190 people contributing over $15,000 toward its $20,000 fundraising goal.