Heavy/Getty A former DWTS pro credits the show for finding love.
A former professional dancer from “Dancing with the Stars” recently opened up about the ups and downs she experienced with the show. Lacey Schwimmer participated on DWTS as a pro matched with a celebrity for six seasons between 2008 and 2011. On the October 29 episode of Cheryl Burke’s podcast “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans,” Schwimmer revealed the best thing that came from her connection to “Dancing with the Stars.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Lacey Schwimmer Struggled After Doing DWTS
Schwimmer was quite honest about her experiences with “Dancing with the Stars” during her chat with Burke on the podcast. She revealed she struggled with the expectations placed on show pros, but she also felt significant stress in not being asked back.
She recalled, “When the show ended for me… I did go into a depression.” She had experienced not being asked back previously, and a last-minute casting change gave her another chance. Then, however, she was fully dropped from “Dancing with the Stars” as a pro.
Schwimmer explained, “I went through this phase of not knowing what I wanted to do with my life because I couldn’t dance anymore.” She explained her connections to the dance world had all ended, at that point.
The dancer and former “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant taught dance and had been involved in the dance community for years before doing “Dancing with the Stars.” Once Schwimmer’s time with the show was over, however, she faced a lot of intense feelings.
“I went into, like, this broke, depressed, dark life,” Schwimmer recalled. As she tried to decide what would come next, a connection from “Dancing with the Stars” reached out with the perfect opportunity. She revealed, “I ended up getting a call saying they wanted me to go to Vegas.”
The offer was for Schwimmer to “Open up the Vegas show for ‘Dancing with the Stars.'” She explained, “I said yes because I needed the money.”
After deciding to head to Las Vegas and take advantage of the opportunity, something big developed. Schwimmer revealed, “It turned out to be a really great thing, I met the love of my life doing this show.”
Schwimmer Has Been With Her Beau for More Than a Decade
The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro told Burke the man she met and fell in love with is “A headliner in Vegas – shout out to Frankie Morino.”
Burke expressed her surprise that Schwimmer was in love, not realizing she was in a serious relationship. Schwimmer laughed and revealed she and Morino have been together for about 11 years.
The podcast host then asked Schwimmer if there were any plans for marriage. The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro responded, “I mean what’s marriage these days… it’s all the same, like, who cares, we have everything.”
Ultimately, Schwimmer feels she came out on top despite the pain she experienced after losing her gig on “Dancing with the Stars.” She noted, “It did turn out to be a good thing, it’s just… It did take me about 3, 4 years to refind my path.”
Morino & Schwimmer Performed Together on DWTS Once
Schwimmer joined “Dancing with the Stars” in season 7 and was partnered with Lance Bass, notes her IMDb page. They made it all the way to third place, and she returned to compete again in seasons 8 and 9.
Schwimmer didn’t have the same success with her next two partners, Steve-O and Mark Dacascos, though. With those partnerships, she finished in 8th place and 6th. She was not asked back for season 10, and she told Burke she initially wasn’t brought in for season 11.
The dancer started to panic about losing her contract, but a last-minute casting change gave her an opportunity to compete. She was with Disney star Kyle Massey, and she told Burke bluntly, “We knew we wouldn’t win.”
Season 12 partnered Schwimmer with Mike Catherwood, and season 13 was Chaz Bono. “Dancing with the Stars” did not ask Schwimmer back after that.
Morino’s website notes that he was on the old show “Star Search” when he was just 10 years old. He has been the “Headliner of the Year” for Las Vegas five different times, and Morino even performed on “Dancing with the Stars” with Schwimmer once in 2012.