British hunk and All My Children alum Aiden Turner has teamed up with BuddyTV to bring you the inside scoop as he competes for the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Here’s what’s on Aiden’s mind as he prepares for his second live performance tonight!

Hi everybody,

A while ago, ABC approached me to do Dancing with the Stars, and I knew from my friend and co-star Cameron Mathison that it was an amazing opportunity, so I decided to go for it. I saw him go through it, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I was very excited. I’ve never danced like this before and as an actor, I’m not really accustomed to performing in front of a live audience. So it’s safe to say that this whole experience is really new to me.

That being said, I look at this as a great opportunity to challenge myself. If ever there was a time to overcome my fear of performing live, it’s now–with an audience of over 23 million people watching! I’m going to work really hard at moving my hips and learning all these dance moves. If I get that down I think I could go far in this competition.

Last week Edyta and I did the Cha-Cha, and we had about three weeks to learn it. Edyta said it was one of the fastest Cha-Cha’s that she’s ever done, so I’m proud of us for getting through it. We worked hard and gave our absolute all on the dance floor. Even though it didn’t seem to impress the judges much, we had fun. We were a little disappointed in the judges’ comments after having worked so long and hard, but that just gave us more fuel for this week’s dance: the Foxtrot.

Honestly, being on DWTS is everything I expected it to be and more. It’s A LOT of hard work, but also even more fun. I’ve had a good time getting to know my fellow competitors; they’re all great people and as excited as I am to be on the show!

It’s show day now and there is a good feeling in the air on set. I really appreciate all the support from my friends, family, and especially the fans! I hope to do everyone proud this week and get through tomorrow’s elimination round.

So be sure to tune in to Dancing with the Stars tonight at 8pm on ABC to see our fantastic foxtrot, and send in your votes for Edyta and me at ABC.com or on our voting line: 1-800-868-3409. Thank you again for your support!

Next week, if we get through, we’re doing the Quickstep to an amazing piece of music.

— Aiden

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

Meghan Carlson

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The OfficeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.