ABC/Laretta HoustonAJ McLean shot out of the canon to start the new season of Dancing with the Stars, performing a lively and energetic jive to The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” alongside dance partner Cheryl Burke.
It’s no question the two connected on the ballroom and, as it turns out, they are launching a podcast to chronicle their DWTS journey.
The podcast, Pretty Messed Up, premieres on the iHeartRadio app Tuesday.
McLean, 42, and Burke, 36, will not only discuss all the sweat, blood and tears that will go into ensuring they dance to see another night on the long-running competition series — but will also open the door to their troubled pasts and what they’ve done to rise above their obstacles.
McLean spoke to People regarding his new project, revealing, “A lot has been said about me and my journey through recovery and sobriety, my ups and downs, my highs and lows, but there’s still so much left that not a lot of people know about.”
He says that because he’s “compared myself to an onion,” fans will finally learn that the Backstreet Boy has “a lot more layers to me than anyone really knows about.”
Burke chimed in with her own thoughts regarding the new venture, adding, “Pretty Messed Up is about really getting to know who we are behind the glitz and glam, behind the ABC family oriented type show where I’m heavily edited.”
“With this podcast, it’s going to be so nice to just be who I am. I’m sure fans have definitely seen a little bit of this, a little bit of that or maybe read my book … but now you’re really going to see me,” she smiled.
The two came in fourth on their DWTS premiere on Mondauy, notching an overall score of 18 out of 30.
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