Whitney Leavitt Recalls ‘Freaking Out’ Over DWTS Partner Reveal After Hearing Rumors of Mark Ballas’ Anticipated Return (Exclusive)

Whitney Leavitt is sharing her excitement ahead of the season 34 premiere of Dancing with the Stars.

Back in July, during the The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion, host Nick Viall announced that both Leavitt and her costar Jen Affleck would be joining the cast of the beloved ABC dance competition show.

Speaking with PEOPLE at a press event following the Dancing with the Stars cast reveal, the MomToker shared her reaction to finding out that pro dancer Mark Ballas would be her partner for the season.

After taking home the Len Goodman Mirror Ball trophy with celebrity partner Charli D’Amelio in season 31, Ballas, 38, announced that he would be retiring as a competing pro dancer on DWTS during the show’s final 2023 tour stop.

The announcement came nearly 16 years after he made his debut on the hit series during season 5 in 2007.

“I started this journey when I was 21, 22. Honestly, being able to dance and perform for you fans, you guys are the best fans. Thank you,” Ballas said in a video captured by a fan, before noting that his parents, in-laws and wife BC Jean were in attendance for the DWTS tour’s final show.

“So, I just wanna finish by saying this will be the last time you see me dance in this capacity. I’m coming to a close tonight. This is gonna be my last dance,” he continued.

However, the retirement was short-lived, with news of the pro’s return coming on Sept. 3 with the rest of the cast announcement.

“Well, one, I had heard rumors that Mark was gonna come back,” Leavitt tells PEOPLE. “So when you first walk in that door, you kind of envision like who it might be.”

“So when I saw that it was Mark, like jaw wide open,” the mom of three explains about meeting her partner. “In my mind, I was like, play it cool, play it cool, play it cool. But internally, I was like freaking out.”

Ballas echoed Whitney’s excitement, saying, “And that’s always the best, like when someone is excited to have you as a partner.”

And, according to the pro, the pair’s relationship is flowing naturally.

“So we hit it off pretty quickly, we’ve had a lot of laughs,” Ballas shares. “We’ve put in a lot of work already such a long way to go like Derek said earlier, this is a marathon, it’s so true.”

Leavitt also touched on her preparation for the show, citing her background as a dancer as a big help in her getting-ready process.

“Yeah, I definitely feel ready, but I’ve never been trained in ballrooms, so that’s like a completely different realm that I’ve never touched, but I feel like some of the dance skills that I like grew up with, like they’re coming back, you know, there’s a little bit of it in the ballroom stuff,” she explains.

Leavitt’s Mormon Wives’ co-star Jen Affleck will also be joining the season 34 cast, and Leavitt spoke about the comfort that having a familiar face on set has brought to the process.

“We’ve gone through so much, so especially like our first week, you don’t know anyone when you come into the studio, we got to talk to each other about the pros and the cons,” Leavitt says.

“She just had a baby. I just had a baby, like there’s just so much to relate with one another, so it’s really nice to have a familiar face around.”

Among the others joining the cast this season are Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Jordan Chiles with partner Ezra Sosa, The Traitors and social media star Dylan Efron with pro Daniella Karagach, Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel with Pasha Pashkov and Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying with Rylee Arnold.

Dancing with the Stars season 34 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and simulcast on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.