From Dance Buddies to Real-Life Lovers: 10 'Dancing With the Stars' Partners Who Wound Up Dating

After Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant were paired together on Dancing With the Stars Season 31, they started dating and later got engaged on Christmas Day 2023.

In an interview with People, the couple opened up about the process before their big day.

"Every time we really dive into wedding planning and meetings with our wedding planner, we just giggle. We are so excited," said Stewart. "And, of course, there's stressful moments like the guest list and the budget and all these things, but we are just having so much fun with the process."

She added, "Honestly, the theme for us is just love. It's just love and it's just gathering … We just want to feel like one with each other, one with our family and friends, and one with nature."

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough found love on the DWTS dance floor during Season 8 in 2009. However, they called it quits a few months later because "they needed some time apart."

In a 2020 episode of the "Talk to Chuck" podcast, Wicks broke his silence and revealed the real reason they did not click.

"We were on a high because both [of our] careers were going great," he said. "We bought a house together, we did all these things and then out of nowhere, you find out that they are not the person that you thought they were. And you break up. And then everybody wants to know why."

Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth danced together on DWTS while forming a relationship. However, they called it quits one year later.

"Hi everyone, we wanted you all to know directly from us, that Shannon and I have decided to end our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend," Hough wrote on X. "However, we love and care about each other very much and will remain friends and in each other's lives."

Elizabeth posted an identical statement and thanked everyone for their support.

DWTS partners Emma Slater and Sasha Farber started dating in 2011 and got engaged on the show's stage in 2016.

They held a Los Angeles wedding ceremony in March 2018, but their union ended when Slater filed for divorce after their split on April 1, 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.

Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy met on DTWS in 2014 and immediately fell in love with each other afterward. Following their appearance on the ABC reality series, the Ukrainian-American dancer popped the question during a trip to Venice, Italy, in June 2018.

They eventually tied the knot during an April 2019 ceremony in Rancho Palo Verdes, Calif. They also welcomed their first child together in January 2023.

In 2006, Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez immediately struck up a romance when they danced together on the show's Season 3. In her interview with People, Smirnoff said she thought her dance partner was hot and charming.

Their romance did not last long due to Lopez's infidelity issues, which he later confirmed.

"It felt like the world came to an end for a second. I hit the ground, and I couldn't get up," Smirnoff said of their split.

Smirnoff tried again with her other DWTS dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Their relationship progressed more than her romance with Lopez did, as they got engaged in January 2009.

Nine months later, they broke up following their disagreements on expanding their brood.

"Maks was ready to start a family and have children with Karina, and he realized that wasn't really what she wanted," one source said. "He's just heartbroken things didn't work out. He'll always respect Karina."

DWTS also produced long-lasting pairs, including Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec.

They initially sparked issues for canoodling during the show's Season 20 premiere, but Herjavec clarified that it was not for publicity.

"From the moment I met her, I loved hanging out with her. We are having a great time," he continued.

They proved their love to the world when they wed in August 2016, less than two years before twins Haven and Hudson came into their lives.

Mark Ballas and Sabrina Bryan had a short-lived romance while starring on the show. When the singer-actress jetted to India to film The Cheetah Girls: One World movie, the pair did not let the distance affect their relationship by talking via Skype every day.

Despite their efforts, they parted ways a few months later due to the Dance Night Obsession star's overwhelming schedule.

Nikki Bella was still engaged to John Cena when she met Artem Chigvintsev on the dance floor. Although they did not immediately develop a romance when they starred on DWTS, they found each other again in 2018 and started dating.

They made their relationship Instagram official in March 2019 and engaged in November of the same year. Bella gave birth to their first son in July 2020, more than two years before they officially wed.

But in September 2024, two weeks after the Burn the Floor cast member was arrested on accusations of corporal injury to spouse, the retired professional wrestler filed for divorce, with it being finalized in November 2024.

"Both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son," her representative said. "Nikki’s number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time."