Mauricio Umansky is ready to cha cha for the mirrorball on Dancing With the Stars — and his family are his No. 1 cheerleaders.
“Everybody was super supportive,” Mauricio, 53, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 13, of joining season 32. “They are all going to be there cheering me on. I can’t wait.”
Mauricio shares three daughters — Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, Portia, 15 — with wife Kyle Richards. The Buying Beverly Hills star is also stepfather to Kyle’s eldest daughter, Farrah, from a previous relationship. Mauricio further gushed to Us that his girls — and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality, 54, are excited to watch him dance on live TV.
“They can’t wait. They’ve already put it in their calendar. Everybody’s ready,” he said on Wednesday. “Everybody’s already adjusted their calendars for them, particularly Kyle ‘cause she’s so busy. The rest of the girls are all in L.A. and just waiting.”
Mauricio is one of the 14 DWTS contenders on season 32, and will be competing with pro Emma Slater.
“Learning the choreography, being able to do the moves, the steps. I mean, it’s hard,” he confessed to Us about what he was the most nervous about. “People don’t realize how hard this actually is. It’s actually really [challenging], particularly for us who are not professionals at this. I mean, these guys have it down. I mean, they’re like, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.’ … But learning all the choreography is hard.”
Mauricio did note that he believes that he would definitely win the mirrorball over Kyle if she also signed up for DWTS. “I am the better dancer of us, 100 percent. She does not like to dance,” he quipped. “I mean, she likes to dance, but this [show] is not something that she’s, like, [interested] in.”
He continued: “She does not have any interest yet to compete. I keep telling her she should; I’ve been pushing her [and] maybe after [my season] she’ll get the itch. So hopefully she does. I think it’d be awesome.”
Mauricio and Kyle tied the knot in 1996 before announcing in July that they faced the “most difficult year” in their marriage and had separated. Later that month, a source told Us that they were building “back up their foundation.”
Mauricio added on Wednesday that Kyle is “doing great” and is currently enjoying a getaway with a friend, seemingly referring to country star Morgan Wade. “She’s actually traveling right now, having a good time [and] shopping,” Mauricio, who was wearing his wedding ring on Wednesday, said. “She’s with a girlfriend. I’m not going to say where she is. I think she wants her privacy.”
DWTS premieres simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 26, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
