'DWTS' Contestants Who Dated Their Partners
There are a million reasons we love Dancing with the Stars — the thrill of competition, the glittery costumes, the strength that the contestants exhibit under extreme pressure, just to name a few. But of all the things we love about DWTS when it’s not on TV, it might be the hook-up rumors the most and the confirmed, adorable relationships that bloom from all of that.
Call us gossipy if you want, but we love hearing about the possible behind-the-scenes action — even if a lot of it is probably rumors. It’s all part of the fun of reality television, especially reality TV dancing shows! But when a couple announces that the rumors we’ve been theorizing are in fact, true, we absolutely lose it!
It’s almost impossible not to fall for a good-looking partner that you spend hours a week rubbing up against, and with these stars, they couldn’t help but fall for one another. Whether it was a short-lived, passionate fling or a romance that ended up at the altar, these DWTS contestants found love in an unexpected place.
Now that Season 33 is officially over, let’s look back at the contestants from seasons past who waltzed their way into their partners’ hearts.
Originally published April 2015.
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Gleb Savchenko & Brooks Nader
It didn’t take long until dating rumors started flying between DWTS pro Gleb Savchenko and model Brooks Nader during season 33 of the show.
On Sept. 27, 2024, sources confirmed it. “[They’re] hooking up,” a source told Us Weekly. “It’s casual for now, and they’re both just having fun.”
After that, the two weren’t afraid to show their affection for one another, both on the show and on social media. From getting matching tattoos to literally licking each other in the middle of a dance number, the two were surely hot and heavy.
On week four of the show, Nader was eliminated from the competition. “I want to thank you for an amazing season, it was so unexpected,” Savchenko told her after the elimination. “I had a blast working with you. You are super talented and I love you.”
Shortly after that, however, sources confirmed they had gone their separate ways. “[Savchenko] got way too comfortable, especially in the amount of time he was spending at Brooks’ home to a point it had begun to concern Brooks’ people and family close to her,” an insider stated. “Gleb sensed Brooks pulling back because of this.”
Prior to the season finale, however, Savchenko and Nader were spotted packing on PDA behind the scenes. “We were getting into character,” Brooks told People.
Daniel Durant & Britt Stewart
Making everyone do a double-take on Valentine’s Day 2023, CODA star Daniel Durant announced he was dating his Season 31 pro partner Britt Stewart. “My Valentine. ??,” the actor wrote in the caption on Instagram alongside a selfie of the two of them.
In December 2023, the actor got down on one knee and proposed. “We were both emotional, overwhelmed with joy and at peace knowing that this would eventually be part of our story,” Stewart told People. “It felt like magic, but at the same time, it felt right and normal.”
Alan Bersten & Alexis Ren
Alan Bersten and his partner, model Alexis Ren, were all about the PDA and passion while they were on DWTS Season 27. But that passion burnt out quite quickly, and the pair only lasted a little under a year from October 2018 to August 2019.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy & Peta Murgatroyd
Dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd dated other partners here and there throughout the show, only to find what they were looking for in each other. Talk about a fairytale romance!
They started dating in 2012, getting engaged three years later in 2015. They tied the knot in 2017, and have been happily together since. In 2017, they welcomed their first son, Shai. Their second came years later in 2023. A year later, they welcomed their third son, Milan.
Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough
American Pie star Shannon Elizabeth couldn’t resist the ol’ Derek Hough charm! She and Hough dated for over a year from 2008 to 2009 after partnering during the sixth season of the show.
Artem Chigvintsev & Nikki Bella
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella started dating in 2019, soon after they were paired up for Season 25 back in 2017. Bella was engaged to John Cena at the time before calling off the engagement.
They welcomed their son, Matteo, in 2020 and tied the knot two years later in 2022. In 2024, however, there was trouble in paradise and the two called it quits after Chigvintsev’s domestic violence arrest.
Robert Herjavec & Kym Johnson
These two are the real deal y’all! Businessman and TV personality Robert Herjavec started dating Kym Johnson during Season 20 back in 2015, and they fell in love so quickly! They got married in 2016 and have since welcomed two children named Hudson and Haven.
Mario Lopez & Karina Smirnoff
The attraction between Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez was immediate, the 2006 dancing partners went through a lot together in their two-year relationship, including a painful breakup when he cheated.
Mark Ballas & Sabrina Bryan
Mark Ballas would go on to date other partners, but his first partner turned, well, partner, was his 2007 match Sabrina Bryan. He and the Cheetah Girl dated throughout the season, but later broke up due to busy schedules.
Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough
So technically country singer Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough started dating a little before they became partners on Season 8 of DWTS. They came in sixth place that season but were a fan-favorite for their fiery and passionate performances that season. They broke up later that year in 2009.
Karina Smirnoff & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
DWTS pros Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy had a whirlwind romance everyone was itching to know more about, with the two getting engaged in New Years Eve 2008. However, they called off their wedding and split up for good in Sept of 2009.
Emma Slater & Sasha Farber
Dancers Emma Slater and her partner Sasha Farber turn up the heat whenever they dance together on DWTS. They had an on-again, off-again relationship until 2016, when he popped the question on TV, shocking everyone!
They ended up marrying in early 2018 but called it quits four years later in 2022. “It’s really the kid thing,” Slater explained about their breakup in an episode of The Viall Files. “It’s interesting because I do want to have kids, I just don’t want to delay Sasha’s path in having kids because I know that he is ready for that.”
Chris Soules & Witney Carson
The Bachelor’s Chris Soules and dancer Witney Carson reportedly had a short-lived relationship while on DWTS together, with Carson marrying her now-husband soon after.
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