Val Chmerkovskiy Makes Bold Claim About 'Showmances' on 'DWTS'

Dancing with the Stars is notable for its connections to the Bachelor universe. Most recently, as an example, Bachelor Joey Graziadei took home the Mirror Ball trophy alongside partner Jenna Johnson. But when it comes to romance on the dance floor, fellow pro (and Jenna's husband) Val Chmerkovskiy recently spoke out about not being a fan.

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"[A] long time ago, my first couple of seasons, I'd been given partners that I did have romantic exchanges with. Incredibly unprofessional to do so in my mind," he said on the Dec. 3 episode of the Lightweights Podcast. "Because I'm here as their teacher and as their partner. And I'm probably, in some way or another, in a position of authority to them. [A] don't shit where you eat kind of thing comes into play."

Val went on to clarify that he was fine with romantic activities between partners that happened ultimately after the season. After all, a number of celeb/pro pairings have found their "happily ever after" from the show, including Kym and Robert Herjavec and most recently Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant. The difference, in his opinion, comes from letting those advances take precedence while rehearsing non-stop to stay in the competition.

Related: Was the 'Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough and Mark Ballas Tango a Test?

"Behind closed doors," he noted, "I undermined my own season by doing that."

The recently wrapped Season 33 of DWTS is notable for a couple of "showmance" kindling. Model Brooks Nader and her partner Gleb Savchenko had steamy chemistry from the beginning, and were even caught kissing at certain points from a sneak peek behind-the-scenes. There have also been rumors of a romance between former Bachelorette Jenn Tran and her pro Sasha Farber. And, whether lodged at these two couples or not, Val's biggest pet peeve lies with not the romantic gesture, but a possibly ulterior motive.

“If it's genuine, it's awesome," he admitted. "When it's authentic and it’s two consenting adults enjoying their time together, I love that. But when it's two adults putting on a show, because they know they can manipulate the algorithm to give them more likes and more views, I just don't like anything that's inauthentic."

Related: Is It Time for Carrie Ann Inaba to Leave 'Dancing with the Stars'?