Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba has waded into talk surrounding costars Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko, and whether the pair are "trying to sell a showmance."
The Sports Illustrated model, 27, and her professional dance partner, 41, have had DWTS fans discussing their relationship after steamy on-air moments.
Now Inaba has shared her views on the season 33 pairing, admitting she's "not sure what's happening there."
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly following Tuesday night's installment, the 56-year-old criticized a general "showmance strategy" before saying they had "great chemistry."
During her feedback for their latest routine, which scored 20 out of 30 from the panel, she joked about the "missing" kiss between them.
Later, when asked if she thought something was "going on" romantically or if it was all for the cameras, the choreographer replied: "I definitely don't think they are trying to 'sell' a romance.
"I don't think that's a great strategy. I think they have great chemistry and that can work to their advantage."
She went on to praise Nader as having "so much potential," after the cover star found herself with 38 points and in the lower half of the leader board for their Oscars-themed Quickstep.
Inaba added: "She's a really good dancer and has the stature. They are a great pairing height-wise and they move well together, so I think they could do well in this competition. What happens to them off the floor is their business."
Newsweek has contacted representatives for Brooks Nader, Gleb Savchenko and Carrie Ann Inaba for comment.
During this week's episode, rehearsal footage was shown of the duo sharing a kiss as they discussed their upcoming number, which required them to supposedly get "close."
Speaking to the camera, Nader was asked how she felt about people calling them "a couple," to which she stated: "That doesn't make me mad at all.
"Gleb says having a strong connection is key to this dance and something tells me that won't be an issue," before she was shown giving him a peck.
Savchenko then told producers: "I'm trying to teach the Quickstep but it's hard because she's distracting."
Earlier this month he said they were "just friends" and that he was "not focused on dating anyone right now," according to TMZ.
The couple were seen in an intimate dance pose on Nader's Instagram before their outing on the dance floor this week, which she shared with her 1.5 million followers.
She captioned it: "FAVE DAY OF THE WEEK!!! Can't wait for tonight's dance, it makes me sooooo happy!"(sic)
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