Gabby Windey Says Last-Minute Partner Switch on DWTS 'Made Me a Better Dancer'

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Dancing with the Stars had a shake-up this week after Val Chmerkovskiy tested positive for COVID, but his partner Gabby Windey says that the challenge was unexpectedly beneficial to her as a competitor.

When asked how it felt to dance with new partner Alan Bersten on Monday night for the Halloween Spooktacular, the newly engaged Bachelorette alum gave rave reviews of the stressful-yet-rewarding experience.

"Oh, tell them how good it was!" Bersten, 28, joked after the show.

"Alan's a great partner and a great teacher and a great performer, so I feel like I couldn't have asked for anyone better to step in for Val," Windey, 31, said of her temporary partner, who won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy in 2019 with fellow former Bachelorette Hannah Brown.

RELATED: Val Chmerkovskiy Reveals He Tested Positive for COVID and Will Miss DWTS Halloween Episode

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The pair, dressed as sexy vampires in crimson-colored attire for week 7's Halloween theme, executed a fan-favorite Argentine Tango to a remix of Ed Sheeran's "Shivers" by District 78 featuring Mikayla Lynn, earning a near-perfect score of 38 out of 40 from the judges.

"I think this week definitely made me a better dancer dancing with Alan, and I feel like we jumped through a lot of and hurdles and still ended up on top, so it feels good," she shared.

When Chmerkovskiy, 36, called the reality TV star to share his news, Windey said she was "terrified" that she would wind up testing positive as well and be forced to miss a week or more. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

"There was a bye week that was offered in case this situation did come to fruition, but I didn't want to take it," Windey said. "We were looking forward to Halloween for so long and it's just like the energy, I'm sure everyone felt it, so I was scared and lucky that I'm negative."

RELATED: DWTS Recap: A New Star Tops the Leaderboard and a Team Dance Shakes Up Halloween Night

Eric McCandless/ABC

Naturally, Chmerkovskiy — whose COVID symptoms have been "very mild" — tuned in to root for his partner and his pal, who were dancing to his original choreography.

"He loved it," said Bersten. "Gabby did a really phenomenal job. It's not easy to go in there switching partners, and she really rose to the occasion."

RELATED: Gabby Windey Says DWTS Is Showing Fiancé Erich Schwer 'a Different Side of Me'

Prior to the COVID interruption, Windey wrote on Instagram how wonderful it was to dance with Chmerkovskiy after their rumba last week.

"I could dance this dance 100 times," she wrote on an Instagram video post from week 6. "The rumba was deceptively difficult but thanks to @valentin 's teaching, patience, and creativity it was a joy to perform. Thanks to him I am now officially hooked on the drug that is ballroom dance.

RELATED: Gabby Windey Says Fiancé Erich Is 'Supportive' of Her Getting Super Close with Val Chmerkovskiy on DWTS

As far as how next week is going to play out, Windey said they're not sure what the partner plan is yet and taking it "day by day," though Chmerkovskiy reassured fans when he announced his COVID status that he would "be back next week" and feels "fine."

"This is a huge bummer, I'm very disappointed," the Ukrainian star said. "I feel like I let some people down, and selfishly, was really looking forward to this week's routine, being Halloween, being Argentine Tango."

"I really love this routine but the good thing is Gabby knows it," he added of having faith in his partner. "Gabby's ready and Alan's gonna do a great job and you guys are gonna vote us through, so I'll be back next week."

Thankfully, Bersten was up for the challenge.

"For this week I joined in so late it was just learn it and do it," he explained. "Val was phenomenal. Not only as a dancer but as a choreographer. Obviously the routine was amazing. It was all Val. I've always looked up to Val, so I tried to mimic his dancing."

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Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.