There has been some speculation among Dancing with the Stars fans that TikTok star Alix Earle and her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, don't get along. How do they actually feel about each other? Appearing last week on actress and current DWTS competitor Danielle Fishel's DWTS-centric podcast, Danielle With The Stars, the actress invited Val to "set the record straight" when it comes to their relationship:
"You guys like each other, right?" Danielle asked Val. "I think she's alright most of the time," he deadpanned, joking about how he, 39, and Alix, 24, both have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor that can get them into trouble from time to time. But in reality, the two of them are on good terms, he promised.
"Context never reveals itself on social media, so I don't blame the speculations," he added. "But no, of course we like each other. I'm grateful to Alix. I think she's a remarkable talent. The fact that I have the opportunity to work with that talent is a huge privilege of mine. That's not as funny. I don't just like her, I am really proud of her, grateful to be her partner, teacher. I'm all in."
Alix and Val have consistently been near the top of the leaderboard all four weeks of the current season. This week, they tied for second place with a chilling Viennese waltz to "Once Upon a Dream" from Maleficent, featuring Alix dressed up as the titular villain. "I want to prove to everyone I am taking it seriously," she said during the opening package for her dance. The judges loved their performance, awarding Alix her highest score yet: three 8s. "That was mesmerizing, it was magical, it was spellbinding," judge Derek Hough said. "To have that power, that grace, that fluidity to really sell like you are manipulating Val, that takes such awareness of your own body."
The couple's previous dances this season have included a quickstep to "Pop Muzik" by M / Robin Scott on TikTok Night, a jive "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega on One-Hit Wonders Night and a cha-cha to "Circus" by Britney Spears on premiere night.
Val has been involved with DWTS in one capacity or another since season 2, way back in 2006, when he appeared as a dance student learning from his older brother, then-pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy. He made a handful of other cameos over the next few seasons before becoming a pro in season 13, and has remained part of the pro troupe for all but one season since then.
Alix rose to fame on TikTok with recurring "Get Ready With Me" segments, in which she speaks to the camera directly while doing her hair, makeup and picking out her outfit for social gatherings and career moments. With a whopping 7.6 million TikTok followers, she's harnessed her internet fame to cross over into mainstream pop culture not only as a contestant on DWTS, but also as a presenter at both the American Music Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards this year. Over the summer, she was named to the first-ever TIME100 Creators list, honoring the 100 most influential online content creators.