Brooke Burke

So does the model/TV personality/“DWTS” co-host have any pearls of wisdom for this season’s cast, which includes as David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, and Bristol “Yes, My Ma’s An Idiot” Palin?

Brooke recently offered five tips to People:

* Don’t look scared—“Even if you’re terrified, don’t look scared, because if you’re not having fun, you’re not fun to watch. If you let the stress get the best of you, you have no chance. And that’s easier said than done. I’ll go on the record and say dancing was the scariest thing I’ve ever done — ever.”

* Don’t spar with your partner—“I totally know that `Dancing With The Stars’ is like a prearranged marriage, and you’re going to fight. But my advice — not that anyone on the show ever has any privacy — [is] be sure your fights won’t make air.”

* Don’t screw with the hosts—“I know I get them in their most vulnerable moments when they’ve been heavily critiqued, and sometimes they don’t want to talk. [But] that’s the time between contestants and the viewers to be really real. Let people root for you and support you and be part of the process with you.”

* Oy, eat something, a little nosh, dahling—“You’re so stressed out that you can’t keep weight on. You’re doing cardio eight hours a day, so you can’t keep any calories. But it’s also hard to dance on a full stomach. It’s more challenging than it sounds. But you have to eat.”

* And lastly, be receptive to criticism—“The judges really do want everybody to do amazing. As harsh as it is, usually what the judges are saying is true. … It’s really hard to put your heart and soul into something and stand there and be criticized in front of people. It’s humiliating and deflating, [but] I think that’s what’s exciting about the show—seeing peoples’ true colors.”