Charli D’Amelio Shares ‘DWTS’ Advice for Alix Earle (Exclusive)

Charli D’Amelio has some social media-minded words of encouragement for fellow influencer Alix Earle, who is set to compete on the upcoming 34th season of Dancing with the Stars.

In 2022, D’Amelio teamed up with pro Mark Ballas to compete on — and ultimately win — the show’s season 31, and the 21-year-old social media star continues to speak highly of her experience. While talking with PEOPLE about her partnership with CeraVe, she once again recalls what she considers “some of the best times of my life” dancing on the series.

“I’m forever so grateful that they gave the opportunity to someone that is in a position like mine to be able to do such an amazing, beautiful show surrounded by so many creative people,” says the Broadway talent, who has been performing on stage in &Juliet for eight months.

DWTS welcomes a variety of competitors from across entertainment industries, and D’Amelio blazed a trail as the first influencer to take home a Mirrorball Trophy. While the series has yet to announce all of its new contestants, it’s already clear that content creators will be well represented on season 34: Earle will be up against The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast members Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt.

Hopefully, their digital platforms will benefit them the way D’Amelio believes hers did. Looking back, the Connecticut native says she’s “very lucky” to have the support, views, and votes from her social media fans, which now number around 198 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

However, D’Amelio also admits she might not have used that strength to its fullest extent while her focus was entirely consumed by dance routines.

“Mark and I, we were definitely the worst people at social media when it came to our season because we were so locked into rehearsal,” D’Amelio tells PEOPLE. “I do that sometimes, where I forget about social media when I’m doing something else that I really want to give 100 percent of my time and effort to.”

She hopes Earle and future generations of social media-savvy DWTS contestants give their content output a little more thought, even if it’s just to document the precious memories.

“I would say share as much of the journey as possible. I still will look back on the old videos of rehearsal times and all of the fun that we had and just enjoy every moment,” D’Amelio advises. “It truly is so, so, so much fun, and that is one of my favorite things that I’ve ever accomplished.”