Rinna Recalls "Dancing With The Stars" Pressure

By Melissa Castellanos

Lisa Rinna has been bitten by the dancing bug.

It's been four years since actress and TV personality was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" Season 2, but the experience is still fresh in her mind.

"I am a big fan of the show...I love the show and I know what they're going through," she told CBSNews.com. I have a lot of empathy for what their bodies are going through. It's a lot of stress and a lot of pressure."

Rinna, who was part of "DWTS" during its infancy, has watched with fans as it has evolved into one of the most watched shows on TV - not to mention one of the steamiest.

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So who does Rinna have pegged to win the season's mirror-ball trophy?

While she isn't willing to pick a winner, she did say who won't win - ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. Rinna believes one of the other two finalists - Olympic figure skater Evan Lysacek or Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger- will emerge as champion.

Her favorite dancer this season was a fellow guest panelist on "The Insider," comedian and "Clean House" host Niecy Nash, who was voted off the show last week. Like Rina, Nash's professional dance partner was Louis Van Amstel.

"She's done so well on the show," Rinna said of Nash. "She's a great dancer."

Rinna and Van Amstel opened a cardio-ballroom class, "Louie's "Dance Blast" in Los Angeles, Calif. Rinna also released a cardio workout tape called "Lisa Rinna: Dance Body Beautiful: Jive, Jump, Ballroom Bump".

Rinna recalls the raw intensity and emotion of preparing for the challenging weekly dance routines, but says there are some perks amidst the misery. For her, one of the best parts of the show was getting her post-pregnancy body in tip-top shape. (She has two daughters, Amelia and Delilah.)

"I think the highlight for me was the body that I got while doing it. It was pretty nice," she admitted. "The byproduct of that show is you just get in the most amazing shape of your life and you feel so good. And especially after having two kids, you never really think your body is going to get back to what it was before, and that show does that."

As a result, the former soap star posed for Playboy at 45 years old.

She also took on Broadway, playing Roxy Heart in "Chicago" alongside her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, who appeared in a later season of "Dancing With The Stars."

"I still dance to this day, and that was four years ago that I was on the show," Rinna said.