The dancer talked with ET on Thursday at the ACM Awards and shared her top two celeb partner hopes.
Five months after Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold finished their run on season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, the dancer is clearing the air about the nature of their relationship and where they stand today.
Talking with ET's Rachel Smith on Thursday from the 2024 ACM Awards, which she called her "first event by myself," the 18-year-old DWTS pro shared that while rumors swirled about her and the 26-year-old Too Hot to Handle star during their season, they are honestly just great friends.
"I mean, probably to the public," she said of whether or not there was something between them. "[It] seemed like it 'cause there was obvious chemistry."
Rylee, whose older sister, Lindsay Arnold, is also a Dancing With the Stars pro, added, "We had so much fun together and I'm truly so grateful for the relationship I built and the friendship I built with him."
Even after their exit from the ABC reality competition series, fans continued to speculate that they may have been an item as Harry at one point gifted Rylee a $15,000 gold-and-diamond Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, which she said was just a symbol of their time together. The dancing partners also spent Thanksgiving with each other as Harry crashed the Arnold family's holiday while vacationing beachside.
In January, he spoke with ET at the Griselda premiere and provided his own context to the rumors, saying that he has nothing but love -- although not specifying which kind -- for the accomplished young pro.
"Oh, Rylee's everything. She's such a sweetheart," Harry told ET at the time. "She made me learn a lot about myself. Just how she carries and her maturity and her morals and everything like that."
On Thursday, Rylee echoed her former dance partner's praise and shared that while their relationship does not go past friendship, she is honored and lucky to have worked with him and have Harry in her life.
"I couldn't have asked for a better partner for my first season and I'm just so happy for his recent successes and everything he's doing with his life right now," she shared. "He's one of my best friends and he'll be one of my best friends for the rest of my life."
With that said, Rylee shared that she is now setting her sights on getting closer to the coveted mirrorball trophy next season, which she is in full preparation for. She -- like the rest of the fanbase -- is now just impatiently waiting to find out who will be her new partner.
"I am literally so excited for this new season, I just can't wait," she said before listing off a few of her dream potential sidekicks. "Ross Lynch is a huge one, Robert Irwin -- imagine 'cause his sister, Bindi, was on the show and I remember watching his sister on the show when I was eight years old."
She added, "Robert's like my age, I was like, 'Please, he has to be on the show, at least one day for me."
Rylee may be in luck too as ET recently sat down with the Irwin family, including 20-year-old Robert, who all expressed interest in seeing the Aussie take on the dancing competition and follow in the footsteps of his sister.
"I would like to see you both on Dancing With the Stars," said Bindi, who in 2015 won season 21 of the show. "I think you guys would be really good at that."
"I'd give that a go," he said. "Yeah, I'd give it a go. I'd do it."
Upon learning of Robert's interest, Rylee could not contain her excitement and asked that fans get to manifesting an Irwin-Arnold partnership for season 33, projected to begin in September.
"Guys, let's all manifest it together, thank you," Rylee joked.
The 59th annual Academy of Country Music Awards streams live May 16 on Prime Video. Check out all the nominees and the full winners list.
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