Emma Slater says Alan Bersten helps her compete on Dancing With the Stars season 35, even though they are also fighting for the same Mirrorball Trophy. After the Sept. 15 premiere, she said the relationship makes the pressure easier to handle because they can trade notes instead of working in isolation.
“It's actually really helpful,” Slater told E! News after the Sept. 15 premiere. She said, “We’ll watch each other's videos, we'll help each other choreograph, we'll ask each other's opinion, and we always come from a really honest, ‘let me help you’ place.”
Emma Slater and Alan Bersten
That setup gives them a practical edge inside a competition that usually rewards separation between rivals. Slater said, “You have a support” and “You have a team member who knows how to go through this, ‘cause this is a crazy world. So it's very helpful.”
She and Bersten are both pro dancers on the 35th season, with Slater partnered with Jackson Olson and Bersten partnered with Giada De Laurentiis. The unusual part is not the romance itself; it is the way they are using it as part of their preparation, turning private trust into a working routine around choreography and feedback.
DWTS live tour in 2025
Emma Slater and Alan Bersten first debuted their romance when they kissed onstage during the DWTS live tour in 2025. In June, Bersten said, “It's one of those things where you just look and you're like, 'Why haven't we?'” and added, “And then it's just been so special.” Slater said at the time, “We've always been really good friends, and now we have a great relationship. It feels really good.”
Bersten also said, “We get to travel a lot,” and, “And we try to enjoy the cities and the moments, the dinners and just our little dog Jeff as much as we can. And that's what really grounds me.” Slater added, “If you find enjoyment in that and you're able to support each other whilst doing seemingly stressful things, it's not so stressful.”
Season 35 pressure
Slater was previously married to Sasha Farber from 2018 until their divorce was finalized in 2024, which makes this season a sharper public test of how the partnership works under competition pressure. The real question now is simpler: if they can keep that honest exchange going while facing each other on DWTS, the romance may end up helping both routines more than hurting either one.
