Entertainment TV Tyler Cameron Dedicates 'The Real Dirty Dancing' to His Late Mother: 'Doing This Show for' Her In PEOPLE's sneak peek at The Real Dirty Dancing, Tyler Cameron says his late mother encouraged him to take risks, including being on reality TV By Kelly Wynne Kelly Wynne Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 31, 2022 02:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Tyler Cameron is dedicating his latest reality show to his "best friend." In PEOPLE's sneak peek of FOX's The Real Dirty Dancing, the former Bachelorette star opens up about his mother Andrea's death, and how she inspired him to join the dance series. "My mom's always pushing me to take risks and go for it," Cameron, 29, says. "She was the one who told me to go do The Bachelorette. She was my best friend. She was always my biggest support system. She was a superhero." Cameron joined The Bachelorette for Hannah Brown's season in 2019 and made it to the end. Though he didn't end up with Brown — she chose, and soon ended her relationship with Jed Wyatt — the pair reconnected as friends off-screen. Brown flew to Florida to be by Cameron's side when his mother died in March 2020. "About a year and a half ago, she had a brain aneurism and then she was just gone," Cameron says. "That was one of the hardest days of my life." Fox For Cameron, the upcoming show is more than just a competition. "She always loved me dancing. She was always for the fun, always down to dance. And honestly, when we would go out together, she'd be out there dancing with me," he says. "I'm doing this show for my mom. I'm doing it to make her proud. I know this is something that she'd push me to do," Cameron adds. Tyler Cameron Will Run N.Y.C. Marathon to Honor Late Mom Andrea: 'I Think She'd Be Very Proud' The FOX series is a four-week-long special event during which a handful of celebrities practice their dance moves in hopes of recreating the magic seen in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Cameron will appear alongside seven other celebrities: High School Musical's Corbin Bleu, former NFL player Antonio Gates, comedian Loni Love, Backstreet Boys member Howie Dorough, chef Cat Cora, comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes and WWE star Brie Bella. The Real Dirty Dancing premieres on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.