Val Chmerkovskiy, the reigning king of the cha-cha and occasional thrower of shade, has waltzed into the drama ballroom, declaring that those juicy Dancing with the Stars “show-mances” are about as professional as wearing flip-flops to a black-tie gala.
In a spicy tell-all on the Lightweights Podcast (ironic name for someone clearly dropping heavyweight truths), Val admitted he once dabbled in the forbidden world of partner romance. “Yeah, back in the day—like, first couple of seasons—I might’ve had, let’s call them tango tangles, with a partner or two,” he spilled. But don’t let the nostalgia fool you; Val is no longer a fan. “Looking back, incredibly unprofessional. I mean, it’s like teaching someone calculus and then asking them to split dessert—it just gets messy.”
Don’t Mix Salsa with Saltiness
Val broke it down with some cold, hard truth: “The pro is supposed to be the teacher. This isn’t a Nicholas Sparks novel. The whole ‘don’t s–t where you eat’ thing applies here.” (Pro tip from Val: Save the romance for the wrap party, not the rumba rehearsal.)
But wait—plot twist! Val, now happily married to fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson (aka the actual queen of his ballroom and baby Rome’s proud mama), clarified his past mistakes. “Off-season romances? Sure, go wild. But mid-cha-cha? That’s just sabotaging your own choreography.”
Shall We Gossip?
Val’s comments come amidst whispers that Gleb Savchenko and Sasha Farber might’ve been bitten by the “show-mance” bug with their celeb partners this season. Cue dramatic music and possibly a slow-motion tango to underscore the tension.
Val isn’t here to judge (publicly, at least) but made his stance clear: Keep it professional—or risk undermining your season. Translation: You might end up with more chemistry off the dance floor than on, and nobody’s giving a mirrorball trophy for that.
So, while Val has learned from his missteps, he’s offering some sage advice: “Do the paso doble, not the double date.”
