Emma Slater is defending her Dancing With The Stars partner Andy Richter from online critics.
Following the Dancing With The Stars cast announcement on Sept. 3, fans expressed disappointment that the longtime pro was paired with the comedian, who at 58 is the oldest contestant on this season.
Slater has been paired with older contestants multiple times throughout her DWTS career, and some fans feel that she hasn’t been given the same chance at the Mirrorball Trophy compared to other pro dancers on the show.
During the Thursday, Sept. 18 episode of The Bobbycast podcast hosted by DWTS winner Bobby Bones, Slater addressed the negativity surrounding her partnership with Richter.
“Well I saw the comments and I thought, my first thought was, ‘Ah, I really hope that Andy isn’t disheartened by reading this’ because for me, I think Andy is the best partner for me. I truly do,” she said.
“I have got to that point in my life and I’ve done the show for 19 seasons, I know [what] my expertise [is] and I know what I love to do and I really love to see the improvement and the growth in my partners,” she continued. “That’s what I’m probably best at. I’m probably best at bringing out people that are not dancers, that are potentially even nervous to do the show, and give them the best possible experience.”
She concluded, “Andy to me is the best partner. I love being partnered with the funny guys. I love being partnered with the personalities. I love being partnered with the people that have this special quality about them, and I’m so thrilled and I always was thrilled that I had Andy as a partner.”
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This isn’t the first time since season 34 began that Slater has shut down online criticism and speculation. On TikTok, she responded to a fan who falsely claimed that she and fellow pro Britt Stewart were purposefully given older partners so they are out of the competition early and have time to plan and choreograph the DWTS tour.
“This is a rumor just FYI,” Slater replied to the comment. “Not sure how it got started! I definitely don’t plan or choreograph the tour.”
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Dancing With The Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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