She may not have found lasting love on “The Bachelorette,” but perhaps another reality show could be the romantic spark Gabby Windey has been looking for.
After competing alongside Rachel Recchia as the latest Bachelorettes, Windey took the dancefloor by storm this past season, immediately becoming a frontrunner on “Dancing with the Star” as the long-running ABC staple shifted to Disney+.
During the show, though, she also revealed that she and fiancé Erich Schwer had broken up. Erich could be seen in earlier episodes throughout the season cheering her on, but by season’s end, he was no longer there.
After taking second place on the dance competition to Charli D’Amelio, things appeared to be getting a little flirty with one of her competitors, “Jersey Shore’s” Vinny Guadagnino.
Let’s face it, like most of his “Jersey” counterparts, Vinny was not great on “DWTS.” But his overall charm and likability was enough for him to come in 7th place.
That charm and likability, though, may have extended beyond the voting fans at home, though, as fans quickly started speculating there was something perhaps brewing between the reality stars (when you refer to someone as “baby mamma,” as Vinny did on one of her videos, people notice).
The flirty comments have continued following the end of the season. In fact, when Gabby posted a picture of herself with white roses on December 12, Vinny commented, “Did you like those flowers? I’ll get you pink next time.”
Gabby admitted that there was definitely some chemistry between the two in a recent chat with E! News. “You get to know the other celebrities,” she said of competing on “DWTS.” “So, we formed a friendship right away and I feel like our senses of humor are really similar.”
As for why there were no overt sparks flying during the competition, Gabby admitted she had “tunnel vision” and was completely focused on trying to win. “I didn’t have room for anything else,” she said.
Now, though, she said the pair are “having fun,” even though they’re currently living in different states. “We’ll see.”
Their in-person reunion is inevitable, though, as Gabby will be part of the “Dancing with the Stars Live 2023” tour, kicking off early next year, and Vinny has been announced as showing up for select dates.
Will he perhaps select Gabby for one of those dates?
“I’m excited to see him again,” Gabby admitted. “Maybe he can buy me a drink! I don’t know, something!”
Gabby, a notorious jokester, was finally asked pointedly by the outlet if she was saying the door was open (at least on her end) for something to develop between her and the “Jersey Shore” star.
“Yeah. The dating door is open for anybody,” Gabby said, keeping her options open and choices close to the vest. “Vinny is just the most vocal!”
She also joked that connecting with Vinny might be a way to get closer to another “Shore” star who has her heart, Snooki. “I moved to L.A. a couple summers ago and I saw Snooki at a bar and that was the first time that I actually fangirled. ‘Jersey Shore’ has such a place in my heart.”
So Vinny can do more than perhaps find a woman he can share a fun and real connection with. He can do her a fangirl solid, too. “Vinny, come on,” Gabby said. “Make my dreams come true!”
She needs to be prepared, though, for things to be different than the relationship they forged while competing on “Dancing with the Stars.” Opening up about her surprise breakup with Erich during her time on “DWTS,” Windey said it wasn’t so much her busy schedule as it was just the real world.
Stepping out of the “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” reality bubble has been a big topic during recent seasons, as contestants acknowledge the challenges on relatinships built on TV after sliding back into their regular lives with all those obligations and distractions.
Gabby told US Weekly that’s kind of what happened to her and Erich. After being in the “Bachelorette” bubble, they were long-distance before they could go public. Once the finale aired, she felt lucky they were able to live in the same place.
“I think, truly, it was just getting to know the relationship in-person,” she explained. “Sometimes you don’t always know the questions to ask or it’s up to the other person to really know themselves and bring forth their truth.
“So I think it was a lot of getting to know each other in real life.”
Gabby’s role in the upcoming “DWTS” tour has expanded since the show ended, too. We’ll guess it’s because she’s so naturally engaging and funny. From a featured dancer on the tour, Gabby has been elevated to co-host alongside “DWTS” pro Emma Slater.
“I’m excited to share the stage with Emma. This, I think, is her 10th tour. Well, I’m excited to the stage with everybody, but Emma will be the cohost and [I’ll] learn from her and just hopefully help the audience have a little bit of fun,” Gabby told Us Weekly.
“I had so much fun dancing and a tour is a whole new experience that I’ll probably never get a chance to do again in my life. So I wanna be able to take advantage of it to keep dancing. I really fell in love with ballroom and to try out a new position as a host.”
The “Dancing with the Stars Live 2023” tour kicks off January 6, 2023 in National Harbor, MD. Gabby’s relationship with VInny kicks off — well, we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, we anticipate a lot more flirting!
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