Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars is probably one of the most talked about seasons of the show—from eliminated fraudster Anna Delvey, who’s reportedly banned from the reunion, to former pro dancer, Artem Chigvintsev’s domestic abuse arrest. But on a lighter note, there’s also some romance shipping, with fans linking Stephen Nedoroscik to Rylee Arnold, who struggles with diabetes.
The thing is, the two can’t really date as the Olympian is already in a relationship. But for die-hard shippers, there’s Bachelorette 21, Jenn Tran, who might actually be dating her dance partner, Sasha Farber. Here’s why fans should be focusing on this couple instead of Stephen and Rylee’s innocent stage chemistry.
Stephen Nedoroscik And Rylee Arnold’s Close Friendship Was Mistaken For Romance
In the beginning, fans were romantically shipping Stephen and Rylee due to their great chemistry. But soon, more viewers realized that their bond is more like “cousins who perform for their parents for sleepovers.” The duo also clarified that they’re just friends despite being more than coach and student.
In an interview with Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis, Stephen said: “Me and Rylee, we’re not just like, we’re not just like coach and student,” he said.
We are friends, and like, Rylee has come over to my place, and like, me, Tess, my girlfriend, and Rylee will just like play Phase 10 with one another or like Codenames.
But what really fueled the speculations at first is that Rylee and Stephen live in the same building. “So, like, literally after we shoot this, we’re both just going to go tan, go to the pool, and just kick it for a little bit before rehearsal,” he said of their routine. “We’re going to have rehearsal from 5:00 to 9:00.”
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Stephen went on to reflect on his friendship with Rylee, saying that they had instant “mutual respect” for each other. “The fact that we did that sort of like on week two, it was like an immediate mutual respect for one another,” recalled the two-time Olympic bronze medalist. “I was struggling with dance, she struggled with pommel horse…we were both like, ‘Rylee, you’re an incredible athlete,’ and she’s like, ‘You’re an incredible athlete.‘”
Stephen Nedoroscik And Rylee Arnold Are Doing A Double Date
Stephen has been dating his college sweetheart, Tess McCracken—retired gymnast and biotechnologist—since 2016. So fans eventually backed off from shipping Stephen and Rylee. Tess also gained attention for her cute supportive gestures toward Stephen during his DWTS journey.
In October, Rylee hard-launched her boyfriend, USC football player Walker Lyons, on Instagram. “I need Stephen’s stamp of approval, don’t I?” she quipped. “But from what I’ve told [him], Stephen’s like, ‘Yeah. He’s an amazing guy,’ and he is, so it’s good.'”
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After making her relationship public, Rylee said that a double date “has to happen” with Stephen and Tess. “We have not had a double date yet, but that has to happen,” she told People after the Halloween episode. Stephen added: “It’s going to happen. It’s got to happen.” The pro dancer then said it “would be a party.”
Stephen Nedoroscik And Rylee Arnold’s DWTS Weekly Scores | |
Week 1: Premiere | 21/30 |
Week 2: Oscars Night | 22/30 |
Week 3: Soul Train Night | 32/40 |
Week 4: Hair Metal Night | 33/40 |
Week 5: Dedication Night | 24/30 |
Week 6: Disney Night | 24/30 |
Week 7: Halloween Nightmares | 28/30 |
Week 8: 500th Episode | TBA/30 |
On week 7, Rylee and Stephen scored their first 10 in the competition—a first for the pro dancer as well. “I feel so good. I am so proud of Stephen. … I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else,” Rylee said. Stephen returned the compliment, saying: “You’re the best. I’m so happy. I mean, I just put everything out into that performance. I feel like it was one of the best runs or maybe even the best run of that dance.”
Fans Should Be Shipping Jenn Trann And Sasha Farber Who May Actually Be Dating
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber’s chemistry isn’t just on stage. After their elimination during the Halloween episode, they continued posting dance lesson videos on Instagram, causing more speculation about a romance. The Bachelor season 28 alum even teased fans, saying she had the pro dancer on “speed dial.”
DWTS host Julianne Hough previously teased Sasha about kissing Jenn on her forehead during their Disney Night number. “A kiss on the forehead? Sasha, come on!” she said. Her brother, Derek, also said he “ships” the pair.
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Jenn said they were “shutting down” the dating rumors when asked about it. Sasha also gave an indirect answer when asked the same question. “I wanted her journey to be purely about dance, it wasn’t about our showmanship,” he answered. “Yeah, we have amazing chemistry, and you can see that through our dancing, and I’m really proud of her.”
Dancing with the Stars is a popular dancing competition reality TV show airing on ABC and Disney+. The series features various celebrities who pair with professional dancers to compete in front of a panel of judges. The US version of the UK TV show Strictly Come Dancing premiered in 2005 and was originally hosted by Tom Bergeron for its first 28 seasons.
- Release Date
- June 1, 2005
- Main Genre
- Reality
