Giada De Laurentiis Reveals Toe Injury Ahead of 'DWTS' Debut, Says 'Part of the Game'

A busted toe, a bruised toenail, and a brand-new team name. Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis's road to "Dancing With the Stars" is off to a colorful start.

Giada De Laurentiis has earned her rite of passage ahead of her "Dancing With the Stars" season 35 debut. The Food Network star shared an Instagram video on September 6, revealing an injured toe.

Giada De Laurentiis in a promotional photo for "Dancing with the Stars" season 35 | Source: instagram/giadadelaurentiis

"I had a great day at rehearsals today, but sadly, I busted my toe," she said on camera before zooming in on her bruised, purple toe. "I'm for sure gonna lose my toenail, I think."

Despite the pain, De Laurentiis chose to stay positive. "It hurts, but we'll figure it out tomorrow. Part of the game," she said. She also captioned her clip, "You know what they say... no pain, no gain."

In response to her post, “DWTS” judge Carrie Ann Inaba left some words of encouragement in the comments. "You are officially a dancer now!" she wrote.

Former "Dance Moms" star Victoria Mahdion also chimed in, saying the lost toenail was a "rite of passage" for dancers and comparing it to a chef's first kitchen burn.

De Laurentiis will be dancing with pro partner Alan Bersten, and she’s shared clips of their time together on her Instagram, including their first dance video and one that introduces their team name: Team Aldente.

The celebrity chef will be competing against other notable names including Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Taylor Hanson, Tatyana Ali, and Harry Shum Jr., among others.