Talent Recap

Cody Rigsby Says His Drive Comes From Being Homeless As a Child

Cody RigsbyGetty Images for Vulture

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Cody Rigsby joined Kelly Clarkson on her show today to talk about his life prior to Dancing With the Stars. Some may see this fitness instructor and think that he has it all, but it wasn’t always that way. Cody talked about how he got his fame after growing up homeless.


On The Kelly Clarkson Show, Cody talked about what it was really like growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He shared that his mom held a bunch of different blue collar jobs in his youth. He described his childhood in only one word “challenging” and shared that he looks back at it when thinking about the worst things he’s gone through.

“At a point we were homeless, we were living in motels, staying with parents of my friends and you look back and you’re like wow that was a time where I was really going through it,” said Rigsby. “It always gave me that drive, it always gave me that push that I knew I never wanted to be in that place again.”

From there, Clarkson and actor Deon Cole talked about how they all came from a similar place financially. All three celebrities agreed that coming from a place with limited resources has molded them into the hardworking people they are today. Clarkson connected with the Peloton instructor by mentioning that her mother also struggled in her youth and held a variety of jobs. She noted that watching her mom in her youth is what makes her take on so much in her adulthood.


Cody Rigsby Shares Backstage Dancing With the Stars Moment With Mel C.

After their deep conversation about adversity, the conversation was switched to a more positive note. When asked about working with his idol, Cody instantly pepped up. He acknowledged that Mel C. from The Spice Girls is one of his favorite celebrities. He told Clarkson that he and Mel shared some moments behind the scenes.

“It was just surreal having this person I looked up to and being on the same show as her. Honestly I loved sharing this experience with her because it’s really, you’ve done reality tv, nerve-wracking,” said Cody. “You don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of every episode and so what I loved about having her by my side was always talking about the nervousness and the anxiety that we might feel before we preform. I was like if a Spice Girl who sold out stadiums is getting nervous It’s okay that I’m nervous.”

Immediately after talking about Mel, Cody agreed that Dancing With the Stars is crazy when it comes to scheduling. Clarkson joked that she would never go on the show because of the crazy schedule. To add to the Dancing With the Stars talk, Clarkson brought up Cody’s “embarrassing” Grease video. He laughed it off and said that he wasn’t in his groove just yet when that video was filmed.


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