‘Too Much Anxiety for This’: ‘DWTS’ Pro Emma Slater Leaves Fans Uneasy with Cryptic Message After Weeks of Backlash Over ‘Unfair’ Pairings
“Dancing with the Stars” viewers were thrown for a loop when it appeared longtime troupe dancer Emma Slater could be exiting the show.
Slater, 36, will partner with comedian Andy Richter, 58, as competitors for the upcoming 34th season of “DWTS,” set to premiere on ABC and Disney+ on Sept. 16.
This week saw Slater take to TikTok to upload a 12-second video of herself standing in a dance studio, which has cast doubt on her future with the program.
At one point, the England-born performer points to the words “Dancing with the Stars” that had been painted on the wall behind her.
“Thank you #DWTS for the journey of a lifetime. You never know when your time is up, so I’m gunna love it every single day,” Slater wrote as her caption.
The “Mamma Mia!” movie star’s message left her followers questioning if season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars” will be her last run on the show.
@emmaslaterofficial Thank you #DWTS for the journey of a lifetime
you never know when your time is up so I’m gunna love it every single day
“Emma, what does this mean? I’m so confused. Emma, please tell us what the heck is happening. I’m freaking out,” one supporter commented under Slater’s TikTok post.
A second concerned “Dancing with the Stars” watcher wrote, “Please don’t leave,” which led to Slater replying, “I honestly never want to!”
“Emma, we have too much anxiety for this,” declared another TikTok user. Fans’ stress over the Tamworth, Staffordshire, native possibly moving on from her current televised gig is likely overblown.
Slater liked a comment that read, “YALLLLL Emma is just feeling super grateful and there’s NOTHING wrong with it, this season hasn’t even started yet so nothing to worry about!!!””
There have been rumors swirling among the “Dancing with the Stars” online faithful surrounding Slater being matched with older male contestants, such as Richter.
Slater’s previous pairings have included season 18’s Billy Dee Williams, who was 76, season 23’s Rick Perry, who was 66, and season 27’s John Schneider, who was 58.
According to Us Weekly, Slater pushed back on the speculation that she works with men of a certain age for the reality television show because of the “Dancing with the Stars” live tour.
“Emma said in an interview that she and [fellow ‘Dancing with the Stars’ professional dancer Britt Stewart] plan the tours so they usually take the ones who most likely won’t make it far,” read a TikTok comment.
Media personality Kristyn Burtt captured a screenshot of Slater responding to the “DWTS” tour allegations by commenting, “This is a rumor, just FYI. Not sure how it got started! I definitely don’t plan or choreograph the tour.”
Despite the social media conspiracies connected to Slater’s alleged backstage influence and past on-screen partnerships, the choreographer seems to have already built a good rapport with her latest dance partner.
@emmaslaterofficial Andy’s face goes so hard here I might put this in our week 1 cha cha ngl
@AndyRichterTikTok
“I was so happy [when I met Andy],” Slater said following the announcement of the season 34 cast. “We have the same kind of energy, like, we love to chat, love to talk, and I love to hear about all that [he has] done. It was really, really nice for me to get to know [him].”
She added, “He’s got [a] great beat. [I told him,] ‘Did you know that you’ve got really good points and really good legs?’ He was, like, ‘What? I didn’t know.’ It’s fun for me to tell him [that].”
In addition, Slater has been documenting ongoing dance rehearsals with Richter on her TikTok account. The “Blades of Glory” actor was featured in three of Emma’s videos over the last 24 hours.
Slater joined “Dancing with the Stars” in the show’s 14th season, which premiered in March 2012. She was named the winner of 2017’s season 24 alongside NFL running back Rashad Jennings, 40.