While contemporary TV is full of reality shows that date back decades and new ones that recently released their first season, few have gained the prominence that “Dancing with the Stars” has earned with its many iterations across the globe.
Although all seasons have found success, no matter where in the world they took place, the most popular version has indisputably been the American franchise. This program has featured some of the most renowned A-list stars taking center stage on the dance floor and has introduced us to many professional dancers who are now world-famous celebrities.
Training for the challenges crafted by this competition involves hours upon hours of practice, and naturally, this has led to many romances that extended beyond the TV cameras. Here, meet the most iconic “Dancing with the Stars” couples in real life.
Behind the Scenes: Dancing with the Stars Couples
- Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko
Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko. (Source: Disney)
In Season 33, the most recent installment of the American leg, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko seem to be the next big item! From the very first moments, viewers noticed their insane chemistry, and Savchenko’s comment to US magazine, saying she “looked hot,” added fuel to the fire. While being sent home on October 15, he declared his love for the model, and insiders from the media outlet report that they are happily dating outside the rigorous schedule of the competition!
- Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart
Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart. (Source: ABC)
Few stories have been as romantic as that of Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart. When the pro found out she was going to be paired with the “CODA” actor in Season 31, she put her whole effort into learning ASL to teach him how to dance without relying on an interpreter. The pair finished in fifth place and didn’t take long to fall in love, getting engaged on Christmas 2023!
- James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd
James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd. (Source: ABC)
Before Season 18 of “Dancing with the Stars,” James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd admitted to having gone on a date just once, and things did not work out. However, both the paparazzi and the show’s staff consistently asked if they were dating again, and at one point, they grew tired of their past fling being the focus of their dynamic for viewers.
- Emma Slater and Sasha Farber
Emma Slater and Sasha Farber. (Source: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images)
Who said that romances only happen between celebrities and their skilled partners? After an on-and-off relationship throughout 2011, pros Emma Slater and Sasha Farber got engaged on the show in 2016. They stayed together until 2022, when they divorced, citing irreconcilable differences. Later, in a conversation on The Viall Files podcast, Slater explained that they parted ways because they were not on the same page about having kids.
- Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough. (Source: Steinberg/AP)
The actress and poker player Shannon Elizabeth got along incredibly well with her assigned dancer, Derek Hough, with their chemistry growing more and more each episode in Season 6. They dated for a little over a year, and one day, they took to their social media accounts to announce that they had broken up. What a quick fling!
- Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson
Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy and Val Chmerkovskiy. (Source: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Definitely one of the most enduring romances on the show, the love story of Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson is straight out of a fairytale. In 2015, they began a casual relationship before she was promoted to pro status in the competition. Although they broke up shortly afterward, they started dating again in 2017. Then, in 2018, they announced their engagement, and now, they are a family with three kids!
- Mark Ballas and Sabrina Bryan
Mark Ballas Jr and Sabrina Bryan. (Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
While Mark Ballas is now recognized as one of the “Dancing with the Stars” icons, having won the competition three times, he was initially a newbie, barely debuting in Season 5 when he began dating his partner, Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan. Their romance continued after they were eliminated, even when Bryan went away for a long time to India to film “The Cheetah Girls: One World”. However, eventually, her busy schedule allowed them to see each other only occasionally, and they split up.
- Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella. (Source: Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, not every couple lasts forever or experiences amicable breakups. After Season 25 of “Dancing with the Stars” finished, pro Artem Chigvintsev and Total Bellas star Nikki Bella got engaged in 2019, and a few months later, announced they were expecting a child. Their son was born in the last days of July 2020. They got married in 2022 but filed for divorce two years later after he was arrested for domestic violence, and Nikki sought legal and physical custody of their child.
- Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd. (Source: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
Professional dancers Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy began dating in 2012 and got engaged three years later, live onstage at the SWAY: A Dance Trilogy event. They welcomed their first son together in 2017 and got married in a contemporary ceremony in Long Island a few months later. They had two more boys in 2023 and 2024.
- Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov. (Source: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Race to Erase MS)
Another pair of pros that came together thanks to dancing! In 2009, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov became dance partners and traveled all across the globe representing the U.S., earning 10 national titles and 10 world championships. Of course, spending so much time together made them inseparable as friends and then as lovers. They got married in 2014 and welcomed a baby girl in May 2023.
