After more than a decade on Dancing With the Stars, a beloved pro is finally addressing the rumor mill about her potential departure from the long-running ABC show.
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Emma Slater, who joined the dance competition in 2013 for Season 17, discussed her career on a recent episode of Three Questions with Andy Richter, a podcast hosted by her Season 34 partner.
The ABC TV personality confronted the rumors of her retirement head-on.
“Actually, someone came up to me last week and was like, ‘Are the rumors true?’ and I was like, ‘What rumor?’ They said, ‘Are you retiring this year?’” the 37-year-old said. “And I could see how a rumor like that would be starting, because they’re looking at me like, ‘She’s the old girl.’”
Slater put an end to any speculation that she was hanging up her dancing shoes, stating that she has had “the most incredible time” on the show and has no plans to waltz away anytime soon. She also told Richter, 59, how she’d like to go out on the fan favorite ABC competition show…
“I would like it to be on my decision, I think,” Slater explained. “But I’ve decided that I’m going to expect to be there, and if and when they say I’m not invited anymore, I’ll conquer that when it happens.”
Emma Slater Reveals Her Plans for When She Stops Dancing
When her time in front of the camera comes to an end, Slater said she would be interested in a behind-the-scenes role on DWTS.
“I guess, in my mind, you put limitations on yourself, saying, ‘Well, how many years do I have?’ I’m just gonna keep going,” Slater added. “And then try to take out that restriction on myself until I don’t have the use of what they’re looking for, and then I’ll try to stick around in some other form. The brand is doing so well, and I like to produce. So maybe I’ll be like, ‘Make me a producer!’ or something.”
Richter, a fan favorite during his own stint on Dancing with the Stars, then joked that he wasn’t sure how Slater could top their season together. Despite their lack of a Mirrorball Trophy, he quipped that she had “been to the mountain top.”
“Oh, we certainly did, and that’s how I measure success, by the way,” she told the comedian. “Getting to dance with you, I’m being serious. That to me — I don’t know where I’m going to go from that. I don’t know how I’m going to get another season like that.”