Every Time ‘DWTS’ Partners Have Defended Their Onstage Chemistry
Just for show! Dancing With the Stars contestants are often asked whether their onstage chemistry indicates an offscreen romantic connection.
“I gotta know — are those your acting skills or was that real?” cohost Alfonso Ribeiro asked Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater after their Rumba to Elvis Presley’s “Always On My Mind” during a September 2022 episode.
“If you’re really doing a good job acting, it all comes from the truth so there’s something real in every performance,” Donovan replied. Slater, for her part, was silent.
During that night’s post-show interview, the U.K. native told Us Weekly she was “so glad” the 90210 alum had answered Ribeiro’s question for them.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘That question! Like, wow, just out the blue,” Slater said. “We really do get on and have great chemistry, which made this dance so much easier. But then when Alfonso asked that question, I was so glad you answered because I was like, ‘I can’t.’”
The Hallmark Channel star, for his part, explained that his acting experience prepared him for having a strong connection with his dance partner.
“A lot of the movies I do, it’s [the] romantic lead and you have at least a couple scenes that are intimate scenes. And you’re with someone who [could] very well be married or that you just met or you’re not in a relationship and so you have to create that and luckily, we’ve had a few weeks of getting to know each other to become friends and break down that wall and be comfortable with it. … I just answered as truthfully as I could, and it is the truth,” he said.
In August 2022, Us confirmed that Slater had split from her husband and fellow DWTS pro, Sasha Farber. “They’ve been apart for many months now,” a source said at the time. “They both have not been wearing their wedding rings and are each leading a single life.”
The insider noted that although the duo had not filed for divorce, they were “figuring out” what their lives looked like without each other.
“It’s been a difficult time since they really care about each other and have been together for so long,” the source said. Slater and Farber exchanged vows in 2018 after dating on and off since 2011.
Scroll through to see all the DWTS couples who have defended their chemistry as merely part of the performance:
The choreographer was blindsided when Ribeiro asked if her chemistry with the Sun Records actor was more than just acting. Speaking to Us after the show, Slater said the strong connection the audience saw was part of the duo’s vision for the dance. “People expect that steam, and you really have to tell a story. We had the best song in my opinion. I love this version of ‘Always on my Mind,’ and I honestly believe in Trevor. I believe in his dance ability,” she said. “I know we have this great connection, this great chemistry. And, so, I really fought hard to achieve the environment for us to just be ourselves and be expressive and we brought the steam, which is great. I think it was a dance that really needed it and it felt really good in the moment.” ABC/Andrew Eccles
The duo’s steamy rodeo-inspired Cha Cha in March 2017 had Bolton admitting that he “might get distracted” if he looked at his partner for too long. “She’s obviously very beautiful,” the champion bull rider told reporters after the performance. Burgess, however, insisted it was just good showmanship. “I am a professional! No, no, we have a great chemistry, and we have a lot of fun but first and foremost we’re just trying to do a great job in this competition,” she said at the time. “I want to stay in it to tell his story, I want everyone to get to know him and I want to take this man to the final. And that is our priority! I think everyone’s making a big deal about our obvious chemistry.” Broadimage/Shutterstock
Some fans were convinced that Chmerkovskiy and Davis had a behind-the-scenes connection based on their dynamic on season 18 of DWTS. However, the competitive ice dancer squashed the speculation during a May 2014 interview with Glamour. “We're not dating. We have an amazing relationship, an amazing friendship, but beyond that your personal life is your personal life,” she told the outlet at the time. That same month, Chmerkovskiy’s ex-fiancé, Karina Smirnoff, told Us she thought the duo’s chemistry was “great acting.” “When you’re on the dance floor … you want to create that story, you want to create something where people believe that what you demonstrated was real,” the DWTS alum said. “And [Maks and Meryl] were able to do that.” Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Val and Monaco shared a kiss during a November 2012 episode of the reality competition series, with the Ukraine native dressed in a speedo, no less. After the performance, the General Hospital alum assured Us that the smooch was “well planned” in advance. “It was part of the choreography! We could have done anything, but we thought that fit and we picked that," she explained. Mr Blue/WENN.com Newscom
Former DWTS cohost Erin Andrews asked Maslow and Murgatroyd if they were dating in real life during an April 2014 episode of the show. "Can I just say this? Can you tell us you're dating? I want a Dancing With the Stars baby," she said. "You can't have a baby while you're dancing, alright? So, that's not gonna happen,” the Big Time Rush alum replied after a moment of awkward silence. In a previous pre-tape package, Murgatroyd admitted to going on one date with the actor. "We're keeping things professional right now," Maslow said in a clip of his own at the time. "Would I take her on another date? Yeah, she's a really cool girl. But right now we are both here for the same reason — we want to win." YouTube
Val and Parrish played coy when asked about their chemistry during season 19 of DWTS. They even took a lie detector test on Access Hollywood in October 2014 while answering questions about their relationship. When asked whether he’d ever seen the Pretty Little Liars alum in his dreams, Val joked, “Not a dream, a few nightmares.” Broadimage/Shutterstock
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