Phaedra Parks and three-time Dancing With the Stars winner Val Chmerkovskiy saw their run on season 33 come to an end in the Tuesday, October 22 episode, but their time was not wasted.
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly, the pair shared what they learned from the experience.
“I learned that I could really trust someone because couple dancing is a lot about trusting your partner and not always being in control,” said Parks, 50. “And he was a very gentle partner, and he really helped me a lot of times just get out of my head and, you know, get on the dance floor.”
As for Chmerkovskiy, 38, this marked his 20th season as a competitor on the show. A 14-time U.S. National Latin Dance champion, there’s not much left for him to learn about dancing, but Parks helped him master the business side of entertainment.
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“She taught me to always overlook the contract, make sure everything’s right, redline it a couple of times,” he said. “Phaedra taught me how to honestly not box yourself in. You know, I’m also in a position where I mastered a craft, and I’m still curious and still want more. She’s a testament that you can have more.”
That goes beyond business. Parks is a mother of two who has not just carved a career for herself on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but has now expanded her reality TV repertoire to competitions shows, like DWTS and The Traitors, where she was one of the stars of season 2.
Parks also has more than two decades of experience as a lawyer and has a side business as a mortician.
“You can have whatever you put your mind to,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “You can have a family, you can be a great mom, you can have impressive kids, and at the same time have a business, and then another business, and then a third business, and do television at the same time. And, you know, that’s really inspiring to me to see [that work ethic] so up close.”
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Chmerkovskiy also saw the work Parks put in. Known for her confidence, on stage and on TV, he said every bit of it is earned.
“I think people assume that she just wakes up and believes in herself so dramatically,” he said. “No, she wakes up and puts in work, and that work gives her confidence and self-belief.”
Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream episodes on Disney+ the next day.
With reporting Carly Konsker
