Cheryl Burke On Gleb Savchenko And Brooks Nader’s Relationship

Since the announcement of Savchenko and Nader’s partnership, the duo has been seen sharing playful moments in the model’s TikTok videos. Naturally, this has fueled speculation that the two might be more than just dance partners.

Days after the “Dancing With the Stars” season premiere, Cheryl Burke is speaking out, claiming Brooks Nader is smitten with Gleb Savchenko and has cautioned the model to stay focused.

Burke warned that if Nader wants to win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, she shouldn’t let her chemistry with her partner become a distraction.

“I think that it’s going to get old real fast,” she told DailyMail. “Meaning Gleb is just going to get tired of it at some point, and he’s just going to be like, “Great. Now, let’s point your feet. Let’s get to work.”‘

The rumors began after a clip went viral, which shows Nader sitting on the Russian choreographer’s lap while spinning around. She’s also shown off their synchronized dance routines, even highlighting some suggestive moves not typically seen in the ballroom.

Savchenko has joined in on the fun by lip-syncing to viral TikTok sounds, joking about making Nader nervous, while Nader playfully referred to him as “the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent.”

There is no “denying” their chemistry, Burke added, but she did claim it will “fade like any relationship does after this honeymoon phase.”

While Burke said that whatever is going between the two is “none of our business,” she added that “in order for her to really stand out – because you’ve got a huge personalities this season – and for her to be relatable, something’s got to happen here as far as her personality.”

She continued,  “Just stop with trying to impress Gleb, because this ain’t sexy… learning how to ballroom dance is not sexy. It’s actually quite the opposite … Okay, so stop trying to look good. No one’s trying to look good. We’re just trying to get through to the next week.”

“When you’re that gorgeous, you’re intimidating, right? People just want to know that you’re human.” Burke continued. “So be self-deprecating, or just make fun of the show or something. I hope that they find the fun in it.”

Nader was married to advertising executive Billy Haire from 2019 until their split in 2022. More recently, she’s been linked to Greek Prince Constantine Alexios, after bringing him as her date to Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey’s June wedding. However, the two haven’t been spotted together since.

As for the “Dancing With the Stars” pro, who shares daughters Olivia and Zlata with ex-wife Elena Samodanova, he was last romantically connected to model Elena Belle. The couple attended Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev’s wedding in February 2023, but stopped posting photos together later in the year.

Although both appear to be single, Savchenko told Page Six that while Nader is “great” and their chemistry in the ballroom is “amazing,” their relationship remains strictly platonic.

Nader previously spoke on her chemistry with Savchenko, admitting, “I think that we have a really good connection as people, which is helpful on the dance floor because we are in sync, and we move as one. He’s obviously a great guy and he’s such a great teacher. I met him two weeks ago, but we’ll see what happens over the next few months.”

This season’s lineup includes “Real Housewives” star Phaedra Parks, ex-“Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei, two Olympians—rugby player Ilona Maher and gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik—actress Chandler Kinney, Anna Delvey, the notorious “fake heiress” whose high-profile financial crimes inspired the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” and former NFL player and two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola.

The competition continues every week, airing on ABC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.