Brooks Nader and “Dancing with the Stars” pro Gleb Savchenko are the latest dance duo to spark romance rumors.
Nader, 27, shared a photo of herself sitting on Savchenko’s lap on social media. Both the model and the 41-year-old professional dancer placed their hands on each other’s thighs for the photo.
Savchenko told Page Six that he thinks Nader is “great” and that the two have “incredible” chemistry. However, the two have not progressed to a romantic level.
Fans can see the chemistry between Nader and Savchenko for themselves when the 33rd season of “Dancing with the Stars” begins on Tuesday.
Nikki Bella files for divorce from Artem Chigvintsev after his arrest for domestic violence
It’s not unusual for Dancing with the Stars pros to date their partners. The dance competition show has spawned many relationships and even a handful of marriages.
The “intensity” of the show and the time they spend together over the course of the season between rehearsals and performances is the perfect environment for developing romantic bonds, licensed marriage and family therapist Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, PMH-C of Studio City, California, told Fox News Digital.
“Initially, both people have a common goal: to win and outperform the other participants,” she explained. “This creates an initial bond and camaraderie. Then they are close to each other, constantly touching and being around each other, which triggers physical responses that increase the attraction.”
Goldberg also noted that the celebrities and professional dancers are in “an environment of excitement and tension where they bond with each other through shared experiences.”
“On the court, it’s just the two of them and all eyes are on them. The only person who understands what they’re feeling in that moment is their partner, whom they trust completely,” she said. “They also share big emotions with each other, be it disappointment over low scores or joy after a win.”
“And finally, these are extremely attractive people with media-friendly personalities, which further strengthens their connection. Ultimately, this intense, physically charged experience often leads to romantic relationships. But whether these relationships last long-term is another story.”
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev
In season 25 of Dancing with the Stars in 2017, Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev started dating during the competition. The two were officially together in 2019, and Chigvintsev proposed to Nikki in January 2020.
The couple married in 2022 and have a 4-year-old son, Matteo.
Chigvintsev was arrested on August 29 after authorities received a domestic violence call. He was arrested at 10:40 a.m. and released on $25,000 bail at around 2:18 p.m. the same day. A court date was set for November 4.
A spokesperson for Nikki told Fox News Digital at the time: “This is a private matter and Nikki requests privacy for herself and her family.”
Nikki filed for divorce on September 11 and requested sole custody of the couple’s four-year-old son.
Matthew Lawrence and Cheryl Burke
Although Matthew Lawrence never competed on Dancing with the Stars, he met professional dancer Cheryl Burke through the show. Matthew’s brother Joey Lawrence competed in season 3 of the dance competition.
Matthew and Burke were together in February 2007. The couple separated after a year, but the romance was rekindled in 2017.
“When we first met, we were both young and immature, and I was so new to (Hollywood),” she previously told People magazine. “Now we’re both grown up and feel settled.”
They married in 2019, but Burke filed for divorce in 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.
Derek Hough and Brooke Burke
Although Derek Hough and Brooke Burke were never together, the TV personality admitted that she would have loved to have a “love affair” with the dancer if she had been single.
“If I hadn’t been married, I would have actually hoped we would have a romantic relationship,” Burke explained in 2023 on Cheryl Burke’s podcast “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever said that,” she continued. “I say that with respect.”
At the time, Burke was in a relationship with David Charvet, with whom she had two children. She married the French singer in 2011, but the couple divorced in 2020.
“I would have had an affair with (Derek),” she continued. “But listen, let me tell you why: You are intertwined with a person’s body, even if you’re not a dancer. I’ve never been more connected — except with a lover or husband — than I was with Derek. And that’s every day… So, for three months, you’re in someone’s arms. Why do you think people fall in love? You smell them, you feel them, you breathe with them.
“It can be more intimate than making love in the bedroom – it’s like making love on the dance floor when you’re really connected. When you have energy, you dance that dance and you’re in the rhythm, and then there’s trust, then you share fear, then you do something you’ve never done before. How often do you have… an experience with someone where they’re all you have?”
Alan Bersten and Alexis Ren
Model Alexis Ren and “DWTS” pro Alan Bersten developed a relationship during the show’s 27th season. The beginning of their affair was documented on the show in 2018.
“I’m developing feelings for Alan,” she admitted in a pre-recorded interview. “And I didn’t see that coming. But it happened really quickly, so I think I’m still trying to process it.”
However, the two split up shortly after the end of the season. Ren was traveling while Bersten was in Los Angeles preparing for his tour.
Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff
“Dancing with the Stars” pro Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez began a romance after participating in the third season of the dance show together.
The couple were together for two years before splitting up in 2008. At the time, rumors began to circulate that Lopez had been unfaithful in the relationship.
Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec
“Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec and professional dancer Kym Johnson met as partners in the 20th season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2015.
They married in 2016 and had twins Hudson and Haven in April 2018.
Johnson left “Dancing with the Stars” in 2015, but returned in 2017. However, the professional dancer retired her dancing shoes after this season.