Dancing with the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro has addressed the backlash over a question he posed on the show.
During the latest episode of the US dancing contest, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star asked pro dancer Emma Slater and actor Trevor Donovan if there was more to their rumba. The pair danced to Elvis Presley's 'Always on My Mind' and their chemistry was so intense, even the host fell for it.
However, some in the audience found Ribeiro's question inappropriate as Slater's ex-husband, pro dancer Sasha Farber, was in the room.
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"Now clearly you are over the fear of dancing, but the chemistry between you two, now I just gotta know: are those your acting skills or is that real?" Ribeiro asked Slater and Donovan.
"Wow, Alfonso. What?!" Slater replied, while Donovan stayed silent for a moment before jumping in to help his dance partner.
"If you're really doing a good job acting, it all comes from truth, so there's something real in every performance," the 90210 actor said.
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On Sway Calloway's podcast Sway's Universe, Ribeiro weighed in on the incident, saying it was "a joke".
"I knew nothing was happening there because she was at my house for my birthday. I talk to Sasha, like I'm aware of everything going on," Ribeiro explained.
"And then America was like 'That was rude because her husband is right there.' I was like 'That was a joke. We were playing. Aww, dang,'" he added.
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After the episode aired, Slater took to Instagram to praise Donovan for his dancing skills.
"So proud of you for this Rumba!! Errrrr maybe there's a hidden dancer inside of you, I don't know!" she wrote.
"Can't wait to work hard again this week and push to make you the best dancer you can be."
Dancing with the Stars streams live on Disney+ in the US.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
