Gleb Savchenko and Brooks Nader’s chemistry didn’t stop once they were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars.
The DWTS pro and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model met in September 2024, shortly after her divorce from ex-husband Billy Haire. From steamy dances to affectionate TikTok videos, the season 33 partners’ chemistry in the ballroom and on social media fueled relationship rumors — even as they faced elimination during week 5 of the competition.
During their final moments on the show, host Alfonso Ribeiro asked Savchenko if he had any parting words for his partner. The pro dancer delivered a heartfelt message, thanking Nader for “an amazing season.”
“I had a blast working with you. You are super talented, and I love you. You’re amazing,” Savchenko said.
That same evening, Nader seemingly confirmed their off-screen relationship by sharing a TikTok video of the two kissing, captioned, “A WIN IS A WIN.”
However, that was just the beginning of their relationship tease. The pair split one week after being eliminated but seemed to rekindle their romance ahead of their reunion dance for the season 33 finale on Nov. 26.
So are Gleb Savchenko and Brooks Nader dating? Here’s everything to know about the DWTS pro and model’s showmance.
They met as partners on Dancing with the Stars
Savchenko and Nader met at their first DWTS rehearsal when they found out they would be partners for season 33.
“Brooks walked into the room and I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve never had that before,’ ” Savchenko told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024.
Nader echoed those thoughts, adding in that she thought to herself, ‘Holy moly, I’m going to be distracted.’ ”
As they continued to rehearse, Nader told PEOPLE that same month that she felt “so lucky to have him as a partner.”
“He’s amazing, Gleb’s amazing … It’s a great thing, newly divorced, to have Gleb as your partner. Could you imagine a better partner?” the model said.
Savchenko expressed similar feelings during an October 2024 appearance on Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey, saying that season 33 stands out to him because he has a “great partner.”
“She’s amazing. I love being around her. She’s got such a great energy, great personality, obviously super hot,” Savchenko said.
They fueled romance rumors during their time on the show
Throughout season 33, Savchenko and Nader fueled dating rumors after they were spotted kissing backstage during week 2 of the competition.
In September 2024, Nader addressed the PDA moment while speaking with Extra, saying that she was “newly single” and having a “really nice time.”
Nader was quick to clarify their label, adding that they were “not in a relationship” but rather “a dance couple.”
However, that didn’t mean that their flirty backstage exchanges weren’t genuine.
“Everything that you see online and on TikTok is real. There’s nothing fake about it. I’m not a fake girl, and who wouldn’t want to make out with Gleb?” she added.
Savchenko said they shared a “natural” chemistry
Savchenko and Nader frequently spoke about their connection in and out of the ballroom while they were on the show. While awaiting scores after their premiere performance in September 2024, Julianne Hough asked the pair about their chemistry. Though Nader said they “have a lot of fun,” she was initially coy about any romance.
“It’s obviously all about dancing, right?” she said. “That’s what we’re here to do.”
Savchenko, however, wasn’t shy about addressing the budding chemistry between the two while speaking with PEOPLE that same month.
“When we get to dance with each other for five hours a day, and we’re so close and personal and she looks like that, we just kind of develop that kind of chemistry,” the TV star said. “It’s natural, and it’s awesome. We’re hanging out and it’s just having a good time, living life.”
They got tattoos together
The DWTS partners commemorated their friendship by getting tattooed together in October 2024. Nader shared the moment on TikTok, including a clip of Savchenko inking her hipbone, captioned, “OOOPSSS 🙊.”
That same month, Nader told Extra that it was her idea to get her first tattoo with her partner, but was tight-lipped about what she got done.
“It’s our secret tattoo,” she said. “People have secret handshakes. We have a secret tattoo.”
Gleb broke up with her after they were eliminated
Just one week after their elimination, the pair seemingly called it quits, but there seemed to be some confusion about what their relationship status ever was.
“When he’s breaking up with me but I never knew we were dating,” Nader wrote in a TikTok post in October 2024.
Nearly two weeks later, their castmates Ezra Sosa and Rylee Arnold confronted Savchenko to learn the details about their split. Savchenko left a jokingly wistful special message for his former partner and said, “Brooks, if you’re watching, I miss you.”
Arnold attempted to clarify their split and said, “You were the one who texted her, Gleb! You were the one who ended it,” to which he confirmed, “I did.”
It wasn’t until the hours leading up to the November finale that Nader revealed on a TikTok live stream what really went down between them post-elimination.
“He was going through something and then he said, ‘Picked up my stuff. I’m going to Joshua Tree tomorrow for a few nights. We should have a conversation but I think I’m done,’ ” Nader read aloud while scrolling through their alleged text exchanges. “‘I care about you. I think you’re an amazing person. You always have a special place in my heart. I love you.’ That was on October 23.”
Although the model said she didn’t respond, he apparently texted her two days later saying “I miss you.”
But it wasn’t until the day after that — when Savchenko allegedly texted her saying “I’m so sorry, I want to talk to you. I actually miss you” — that Nader said they “had a little chit-chat.”
Their castmates — as well as Savchenko and Nader — documented their ups and downs on TikTok
From steamy rehearsals to teasing their chemistry, their castmates — and the dancers themselves — have documented the ups and downs of their TV relationship on TikTok.
In October 2024, Savchenko and Nader posted a video to the official DWTS account, where the model is lip-synching to the sound, “The last thing I need is more drama.”
The pro dancer joins her in the video, prompting Nader to say, “Hello drama.”
After they were eliminated, Sosa — who had been sharing his reactions to their relationship throughout the season — posted a video of him and Arnold dramatically fake crying, writing “pov: you have nothing to talk about for the rest of the season.”
Once Nader and Savchenko split, Sosa made a TikTok joking that he was a “child of divorce.” Although he didn’t tag either of them, Nader commented back saying, “2 Christmases 🎄!!!”
They reunited to dance together in the finale
Though the pair had seemingly ended their relationship, they were spotted on a dinner date in Los Angeles on Nov. 16 and reunited again 10 days later to dance together in the season 33 finale.
Nader returned to the dance studio on the heels of their alleged split and shared a TikTok with her partner captioned, “Its your fave toxic ‘dance partners.’ ”
She shared another video of the two fake slapping one another during rehearsal, writing that they “had to get that out of our systems so we can rehearse.”
The reunion also meant more PDA-filled rehearsals. During dress rehearsal the day before the finale, just one day after the supermodel was seen sporting a special piece of jewelry, their castmate Emma Slater shared a “secret video” of them being affectionate, asking, “What is happening?”
“Just call me paparazzi,” the DWTS pro captioned the post.
Sosa joked back in the comments, “YOU BEAT ME.”