Emma Slater & Alan Bersten Address DWTS’ Alleged “Toxic Energy”

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Emma Slater and Alan Bersten aren’t dancing around their show’s reputation.

Despite rumors of drama surrounding them on the set of Dancing With the Stars, the couple—who began dating in April—say their relationship is actually very positive.

Okay, so I was listening to Emma on the House of Maher podcast, and she was talking about this article that came out… it was trying to say there was some kind of bad vibe on Dancing With the Stars! Can you believe it? She totally shut that down, saying it was completely untrue. I mean, seriously, toxic energy? My queen would never be part of anything like that! It just makes me so mad when people try to drag her down like that.

Alan quickly agreed, stating that many of these articles were inaccurate, specifically mentioning one that falsely claimed he and Emma had argued in the hallway.

“My mom’s like, ‘Are you guys fighting?'” Alan said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘What?'”

Alan and his partner, Elaine Hendrix, reached the final round of the competition. Meanwhile, Emma and Andy Richter were eliminated in week nine, which surprised some viewers who thought Andy deserved to stay longer. Emma explained that despite being eliminated, everyone on the show is very supportive and handles the competition with a positive attitude, saying, “Everybody on the show has such a collaborative, supportive atmosphere.”

Even though the show is a competition, the couple emphasized that it hasn’t changed their relationship. They explained that they’re in it as a team, and their happiness isn’t dependent on winning or losing.

Alan explained that dealing with the process is really time-consuming, so it’s helpful to have someone who understands what you’re going through. However, he also noted that it becomes much simpler when someone is removed from the situation.

Ultimately, being on the show can be summed up in one word from Emma: “Wholesome.”

Alan explained that dealing with the situation is really time-consuming, so it’s helpful to have someone who understands what you’re going through. However, he also noted that things become significantly simpler when one person is removed from the equation.

Ultimately, being on the show can be summed up in one word from Emma: “Wholesome.”

For more insight into Dancing With the Stars, read on.

In 2019, Variety reported that celebrities appearing on Dancing With the Stars initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show. According to sources, contestants who advance further receive additional payments each week, potentially bringing their total earnings to $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

The radio host revealed on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, that the pay for the show started at zero for the first episode, then increased to $10,000 for the second. They estimated the pay then went up to around $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, and $20,000 per episode, ultimately reaching $50,000 an episode for those who continued with the show.

In addition to a salary of about $110,000, Bones revealed he earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

Details about professional dancers’ earnings haven’t been widely released either. However, like the celebrity contestants, it appears their pay increases the further they advance in the competition.

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the podcast The Morning After, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that dancers are typically guaranteed work for a specific number of weeks. However, she added that contracts vary and she couldn’t comment on everyone’s situation.

Apparently not.

Professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars, like Jenna Johnson, don’t earn extra money for winning the show—even though the trophy is now named after the late Len Goodman. Johnson, who has won twice with Adam Rippon and Joey Graziadei, says making it to the final round is still rewarding, beyond just the prestige of winning.

She explained on The Morning After that reaching the finale means you get paid for the entire season, plus a bonus. However, winning isn’t about a large cash prize; it’s just a shared trophy with your teammate.

That doesn’t appear to be the case.

In a 2022 appearance on the Trading Secrets podcast, Lindsay Arnold shared that her pay was reduced by more than 50% after she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

On the May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers’ podcast, Hot Smart Rich, Lindsay explained that participants have no choice in who they’re paired with. She described it as simply being told, ‘Here’s your partner, now try to make the relationship work.’

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

Jenna explained on The Morning After that the show’s producers deliberately keep the cast a secret until the live reveal. They prioritize capturing authentic, genuine reactions from the contestants. Contrary to popular belief, the show’s hosts don’t know who’s participating beforehand – producers don’t even want them to! While leaks sometimes happen, the goal is to maintain complete secrecy until contestants meet their partners on stage.

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the show’s pairings weren’t random. In a 2015 interview with TopMob News, he explained they considered height, body type, personality, and how well contestants would get along. They deliberately avoided matching people who seemed likely to clash, as the experience is already very intense. Unlike shows like The Bachelor, forcing incompatible pairings would create a terrible experience for everyone involved – the celebrity, the production team, and the viewers. They’d learned from past mistakes where they paired people who simply didn’t connect.

Dancing With the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis that rehearsals typically last four hours – either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the work doesn’t end there; she often spends additional time with producers, working on choreography, or studying dance routines.

Arnold says her life is completely dedicated to the show, but she loves it and finds it fulfilling. It’s a demanding schedule with no days off. Rehearsals run from Wednesday to Sunday, with camera blocking on Monday and then another show on Tuesday.

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart confirmed in a September 2025 Instagram video that they were mostly on board, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always amazed by the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating the magic on shows like ‘Dancing with the Stars’! People often comment on the speed of the dances, but let me tell you, the costume department is on an even faster timeline. Designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained they essentially create a story with each outfit, collaborating with everyone from set designers to the dancers themselves. Then, they have just five days – five days! – to create all the costumes. That’s half a day per piece, and that doesn’t even include the time spent adding all those dazzling rhinestones! They have a huge team of around 20 people, plus an entire tailor shop working around the clock.

Interestingly, Steven Norman Lee shared that dancers often don’t even try on their costumes until just hours before they hit the dance floor! While they might occasionally re-use pants for the male dancers, everything is generally made custom each week. Daniela added that they do reuse items for group numbers or promotional shoots, but never for the actual competition. The goal is to keep everything fresh and new each week, so the show remains exciting for both the dancers and the audience. It’s a massive undertaking, but the results are always stunning!

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2025-12-03 01:47