Alfonso Ribeiro Says Alan Bersten, Emma Slater’s Connection Was ‘No Shock’ (Unique)

Emma Slater and Alan Bersten’s relationship exhausting launch was a very long time coming.

The Dancing with the Stars execs delighted followers throughout their ultimate efficiency on the DWTS: Stay! 2025 tour on April 19, as they kissed on the finish of their dance and eventually confirmed their romance after months of fan hypothesis.

Based on Alfonso Ribeiro, “there was no shock” amongst the DWTS household about Slater and Bersten’s “connection.” The “launch” of the connection was a shock, although, he tells PEOPLE.

“Emma’s my sister and he or she’s at my home a number of instances per week. So, clearly, my family knew what was happening. We simply did not know that that they had made the choice to launch,” the Dancing with the Stars host mentioned at Disney’s Get Actual occasion in L.A. on April 22.

“On the finish of the day, [I’m] comfortable for them,” Ribeiro, 53, continued. “When folks discover one thing that they get pleasure from — get pleasure from it, reside it. Why reside a lie?”

The launch additionally made sense given the “rumors had been on the market” already a couple of potential connection between the dancers, as Ribeiro famous. “I feel that individuals had been already [speculating].”

Although Ribeiro was very a lot within the loop on the dancers’ secret romance, his co-host Julianne Hough was not on the identical web page.

“I reside below a rock,” she mentioned after listening to concerning the kiss days later. “I do not know something.”

And whereas she believes that DWTS showmances can “typically” be “messy,” Hough additionally feels that they can be “actually lovely.”

“There’s a lot belief that must be constructed with a partnership and so, there’s instantaneous chemistry in an attraction means, however the chemistry that is constructed is often constructed off of belief,” she continued. “And that is why there’s most likely so many showmances since you’re with this particular person each day, and being weak, and displaying up. So I root for it, I feel it is a ravishing place to satisfy folks.”

Slater, 36, and Bersten, 30, are removed from the primary stars to fall in love within the DWTS ballroom. In truth, Slater was married to fellow professional Sasha Farber for 4 years earlier than their divorce in 2023, although the dancers have each stored issues very peaceable following their cut up as they proceed to work collectively.

Slater advised PEOPLE final 12 months that she “could not be happier” and that “spending time on my own has been essentially the most rewarding factor that I’ve executed in the previous couple of months,” as she admitted, “I am actually relationship myself, and I really like that.”

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Bersten has additionally been romantically concerned with a DWTS star earlier than as he dated his 2018 associate Alexis Ren for a number of months.