When Carlos and Alexa PenaVega took to the DWTS floor in 2015, they made history as the show’s very first married couple to compete head-to-head.
Fans loved watching their friendly rivalry unfold each week, but off-camera, the relentless pressure of the competition was quietly taking a toll. Years after hanging up their dancing shoes, the couple is opening up about the lingering “baggage” their mirrorball pursuit brought into their marriage, and how they ultimately worked through it together.
The Celebrity Couple Appeared on DWTS Season 21
Carlos and Alexa PenaVega spoke out about the toll competing against one another on DWTS took on thier marriage on their podcast, “LexLos.”
Performing alongside pros Witney Carson and Mark Ballas, the couple ultimately did not reach their goal which was to complete against one another in the finals. Alexa was eliminated in Week 9 while Carols made it to fourth place.
“I beat my wife on DWTS,” the former star of Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush” admitted. “I got further than her and it came with a lot of baggage, good and bad baggage.”
Alexa, who starred in the 2001 film “Spy Kids” chimed in. “Because we are in such a great place in our relationship now I can say this. I would have had so much more fun on the show were it not for Carlos. He was really competitive and very jealous.”
“Thank God we did it together,” he added. “Because I would not have been able to handle it.” She responded, “You couldn’t handle it and we did do it together.”
Alexa PenaVega ‘Worried’ About Husband During DWTS
When Alexa PenaVega signed up for DWTS alongside her husband Carlos, she expected a fun, healthy competition. But as the grueling schedule took over, her focus quickly shifted from the leaderboard to her husband’s well-being.
Looking back on their time as the show’s first married competitors, Alexa opened up about the intense stress that swept over Carlos during the competition.
“Poor Mark and Witney. This is where I look back and I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry,'” she explained.
“Looking back now, even watching our elimination, it made me sad for Mark [Ballas],” Alexa admitted. She told Carlos, “I was so worried about catering to you and your feelings, I left Mark in the dust over and over again.”
Alexa added that she left Mark standing there alone when they exited the competition. “Mark is standing there by himself and Witney’s there trying to console us but there isn’t a ‘Hey, we’re all in this together.’ It was kind of like a, ‘I was never in this with you. I was only in this with Carlos.'”
“So many people see marriage as this ball and chain and they don’t see the beauty in it,” Alexa explained. “Love you Mark, but [Carlos] is my real partner.”
Competing against each other on live television left Carlos and Alexa PenaVega with more than just memorable dance routines. It left them with real relationship hurdles to overcome. By facing those lingering pressures head-on, the couple managed to turn a chaotic TV experience into a foundation for a stronger, healthier marriage.
DWTS Season 35 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney Plus. New episodes air the next day on Hulu.
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DWTS Celebrity Couple Admits Show Caused ‘Baggage’ in Their Strong Marriage