That’s why the season 35 pro, who has been part of the show since 2012, had a sense of humor about her entire toenail falling off while rehearsing with her celebrity partner, Savannah Bananas playerJackson Olson.
“There’s a lot of people that want to do Dancing With the Stars, and they want to experience it, but there’s something you should know,” Slater teased while displaying her detached toenail in a Sept. 17 video. “If you do Dancing With the Stars, this could happen.”
“Do you know what this is? This is my toenail,” the season 24 champion continued in her trailer. “It’s not a fake toenail. This is my actual toenail, and I had to peel that off just now because it was flip-flopping like a cat door.”
As such, the U.K. transplant quipped, “You can imagine what my toe looks like without this being on it. It’s not cute.”
While the 37-year-old isn’t a huge fan of the not-so-pleasant injury, she has said she’s enjoying competing against boyfriend Alan Bersten. Her real-life partner of over a year is the dance expert hoping to lead chef Giada De Laurentiis to victory in the ballroom this year.
“It’s actually really helpful,” Slater exclusively told E! News following the premiere Sept. 15. “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.”
Indeed, Slater, who was previously married to pro Sasha Farber for six years until finalizing their divorce in 2024, is grateful to have the support of “a team member who knows how to go through this, ’cause this is a crazy world.”
And dancers dedicating their blood, sweat and toenails to learning their routines is only the beginning of the ABC hit’s lore. Read on for a look behind the scenes at the secrets behind Dancing With the Stars.
How Much Do the Celebrities Get Paid to Be on Dancing With the Stars?
Citing multiple sources,Varietyreported in 2019 thatDancing With the Starscontestants make $125,000 for the rehearsal period and first two weeks of the show. If they progress beyond that point, the outlet continued, they earn more money each week. At the time, sources told the publication stars could earn a maximum of $295,000.However,Bobby Bonessaid he made more than this when he won season 27 withSharna Burgessin 2018.”That show pays OK,” the radio personality said on a Sept. 2025 episode ofJason Tartick’s podcastTrading Secrets.”Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.”Also receiving a base salary of around $110,000, Bones continued, “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show.”ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.
What Do the Pros Get Paid on Dancing With the Stars?
Similarly, little has been shared publicly about how much the pros get paid. But as with the contestants, it seems like the longer they’re on the show, the more money they can make.But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.”You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks,”Jenna Johnsonsaid on a June 2025 episode ofKelly StaffordandHankWinchester’s podcastThe Morning After.”I think there’s different contracts though. I can’t speak for everybody.”
Do Pros Get Paid More If They Win Dancing With the Stars?
Apparently not.WhileJohnson—who won season 26 with Olympic figure skaterAdamRippon, as well as season 33 withThe Bachelor’sJoey Graziadei—says the pros don’t get a larger paycheck if they take home what is now called theLen GoodmanMirrorball Trophy, she noted there’s still an incentive to make it to the finale (besides bragging rights, of course).”If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, and you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale,” she explained onThe Morning After.”If you win, it’s not like you win a $1 million and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”
Do the Troupe Members Get Paid as Much as the Pros on Dancing With the Stars?
That doesn’t appear to be the case.On a 2022 episode ofTrading Secrets,Lindsay Arnoldrecalled how her salary was cut “more than in half” when she was demoted from pro to troupe member.
How Are Pros and Celebrities Paired Together on Dancing With the Stars?
The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.”You get no say,” Lindsay said on a May 2025 episode ofMaggie Sellers’Hot Smart Richpodcast. “It’s very much just, ‘Here’s your partner. Make it work.'”In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.”They really want to keep it a secret until you meet them live,” Jenna said onThe Morning After. “They want that genuine reaction. So I think people always think we know who we have and we’re keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us. They really don’t even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush-hush until you walk in and meet your partner.”As for what theDancing With the Starsteam looks for when making these matches?”It’s based on height, build and personality and compatibility,” former showrunnerRob Wadetold E! Newsin 2015. “We don’t pair people who aren’t going to get on. It’s too intense. It’s not likeThe Bacheloror something, we couldn’t do that. That would just be miserable experience for the celebrity, for us and the viewer. You don’t want to see two people who don’t like each other and, quite frankly, we have made that mistake pairing people up who didn’t get on so well.”
How Often Do the Pros and Celebrities Practice on Dancing With the Stars?
Put simply, a lot.”Every day we have four-hour rehearsals,”Rylee Arnold, who was partnered with Olympic gymnastStephen Nedoroscikon season 33, shared on a September 2024 episode of theLightweights PodcastWithJoe Vulpis. “It’s either 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m.”But the work doesn’t stop once the rehearsal wraps. Rylee noted she might then meet with producers or the creative team, work on choreography or study dance videos.”Literally my whole life is devoted to it,” she continued, “but it’s my passion and it’s what I love. So, it makes me so happy.”Indeed, it’s a no-days-off kind of gig.”We have our show day on Tuesday and then it’s Wednesday to Sunday, straight rehearsals,” Rylee added. “And then Monday we have camera blocking and then Tuesday’s show day again.”
Do the Pros Get to Pick the Songs Each Week for Their Dance With Their Celebrity Partner?
“Mostly yes,”Emma SlaterandBritt Stewartrevealed in a September 2025Instagramvideo, “though it’s a collaboration with producers.”
What’s the Process Like for Making the Costumes for Dancing With the Stars?
If you thought the quickstep was fast, just wait until you hear about the pace of the costume department.”We meet with the set and lighting designers, dancers and talent and create a story [for each pair],” costume designerDaniela GschwendtnertoldTV Insiderback in 2017. “Then we sketch out ideas. We have five days, max, to make all the outfits. That’s half a day per costume, not including all the rhinestones. The fitting and trimming we do later. We have about 20 people in our department and then we have a separate tailor shop. It’s a big enterprise.”In fact, costume designerSteven Norman Leesaid pairs usually try on their costumes for the first time just hours before showtime. And while the department “might use a pair of pants again for the boys,” he continued, everything is generally made custom each week.As Gschwendtner added, “We do reuse things for group numbers or promo shoots, but not for the competition. We don’t reuse things unless there’s a specific reason to do so. We try to keep everybody fresh and new in something different every week, so it stays interesting.”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
