Each fall, “Dancing With the Stars” fans tune in to see the new cast of celebrities compete for the highly coveted Mirrorball trophy. Many seasoned fans also have their favorite professional dancers, who come back year after year to teach and entertain the crowd.
While many DWTS partnerships result in lifelong friendships, others go a bit differently. In a new podcast episode, a trio of former pros discussed dealing with unwanted romantic attention from celebrity partners.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Often Receive Attention From Celebrity Partners
In a new episode of “The Penthouse with Peta,” professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd sat down with Artem Chigvintsev and Sharna Burgess to discuss their time on “Dancing With the Stars” together. During the episode, the trio discussed dealing with celebrities who developed crushes on them.
“Did you ever have someone, don’t name names, who was a bit in love with you? Because this happens often on the show when female celebrities get crushes on their partner,” Sharna asked.
Artem countered, saying that he doesn’t always feel like the celebrities get crushes on the dancers. Instead, he views it as the celebrities getting to experience a special bubble outside their chaotic daily life.
“For us, it’s a job,” Artem described his feelings. “We get to the studio, we have sets of steps we need to do. But for the person who never really danced with someone else, it’s a very intimate experience. And that’s really the biggest confusion of them all.”
The three professional dancers continued to discuss specific instances when they’ve had to set boundaries with their celebrity partners.
Artem described conversations with his partners where they admitted they might leave their romantic partners for him. He noted that he quickly shut those conversations down and told his celebrity contestants they needed to figure out their relationship issues without his influence.
“I think ‘Dancing With the Stars’ exposes relationships where [they have] been at the weakest,” the Russian dancer concluded. Peta and Sharna readily agreed, noting they had similar conversations with past dance partners.
Other Painful Emotions Come Along With the Show
“Dancing With the Stars” pros don’t receive invitations to return for a new season until weeks before the premiere. During the interview, the trio also opened up about how painful that process can be, especially when they learn they’ve been cut.
Artem Chigvintsev noted that it’s especially difficult when they feel like there isn’t a sense of closure.
“You do have this giant void in your life after the show,” the DWTS season 29 champion shared in the interview. “But it’s the aftermath of other people telling you like, ‘oh, I miss you on the show,’ or ‘I’m like big fan.’ It’s a constant…And that never really goes away.”
Fans can expect to see “Dancing With the Stars” back on ABC this fall.
