First, he was known as the “Pommel Horse Guy, then “Clark Kent,” and now Stephen Nedoroscik a reality TV star. The surge in popularity of the US gymnast star from the mat to the dance floor on Dancing With the Stars has been astonishing. The Olympic double bronze medalist is tearing it up on the show. However, as Nedoroscik earns more love under the spotlight, fans on social media praised Tess McCracken’s support for her boyfriend.

All it took was one performance for Nedoroscik to go from Team USA’s pommel horse specialist to overnight celebrity. The internet dubbed the mild-mannered gymnast from Worcester as the Clark Kent of Pommel Horse and he soon turned into Superman after winning the bronze medal in Paris.

A spot on season 33 of DWTS followed and with it came more fame and popularity. He was partnered with professional dancer Rylee Arnold and the two have been gracing the sets of the reality TV show ever since. In all of this, McCracken has been cheering her boyfriend on, unfazed by the increased media scrutiny around him and their relationship.

The couple has been in a relationship since 2017 and has been able to navigate the attention quite well after Nedoroscik’s elevation to celebrity status. McCracken for her part has been standing with him and showing his support on the show frequently.

Before the show when the gymnast was asked whether his girlfriend would be joining him in Los Angeles during his time on the show, he told E! News, “She’s already out there in LA with me And we brought the kitty. We got the whole house set up, we’re comfy.” The couple talked to the Hollywood Reporter after Nedoroscik’s debut on DWTS and McCracken expressed how excited she was to see him perform.

She mentioned, “I’m so proud of Stephen. We had so much fun out there. I’m so proud of all the work he’s putting in.” Nedoroscik also asked who had been his biggest cheerleader and he didn’t hesitate to take his girlfriend’s name. He said, “Definitely my girlfriend Tess. She came here, she is cheering, I’ve heard her. She’s just the best. She keeps me grounded, she keeps me on my feet.”

McCracken appeared on the DWTS to cheer for her boyfriend wearing a pleated flowy red dress to match Nedoroscik and his dance partner Arnold’s Paso Doble to “Superman — Main Theme” by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. McCracken being excited and lending her full support to her boyfriend and handling the media lens has been appreciated by fans online.

Taking to Reddit, a user mentioned, “I have no doubts in Stephen or Tess at all, however I can imagine it would be a bit of a mind warp for Tess to see her honey of eight years dancing with another girl very publicly, and learning to survive that level of public scrutiny! They’ve been thrust into the spotlight so quickly and they’re navigating it so well… I wanted to take a minute and acknowledge her and just the human nature side of this whole experience.”

This post comes shortly after a section of the internet romantically linked Nedoroscik and Arnold. Fans have noticed Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold’s eye-catching onscreen chemistry on DWTS. The pair made a dazzling debut on the first episode of season 33. The Olympian and the professional dancer seamlessly blended gymnastics into their routine, earning third place.

However, Tess McCracken has supported her boyfriend’s Olympic dreams for the better part of a decade and they have been going strong. The Paris Olympics bronze medalist’s college sweetheart has been his loudest cheerleader for years. While the sudden and immense fame after Nedoroscik’s success in Paris may have been disruptive, they took it in their stride and fans were appreciative of the couple’s handling of the situation.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Tess McCracken are inseparable

They also showed up at the 2024 Emmys and on the red carpet, McCracken shared a piece of advice for her boyfriend. Talking to E! News after the premiere of DWTS, Nedoroscik said, “Me and Tess got to walk the red carpet, we did the Glambot. I was like, ‘What do I do?’ She’s like, ‘Take your glasses off!” and it worked like a charm.

The constant support from McCracken has been admired by the fans, despite Nedoroscik getting all the attention and focus since the Paris Olympics. A Reddit user noted, “It would be weird if one minute your dorky boyfriend was all yours, and the next minute, girls had crushes on him everywhere you turned. As someone with a similarly dorky/cute boyfriend myself, I’d definitely be a little jealous…But also wildly proud of him and happy for him getting to live his dreams, of course!” added the fan.

The sudden onset of fame was a challenge for Nedoroscik and his girlfriend. Talking on the TODAY show last month, the gymnast addressed how the journey has been. “I mean, it’s definitely different than what we’re used to. It’s a new normal at this point, but I’m loving it. I’m loving the attention of bringing to men’s gymnastics and all my teammates. So I think it’s a really good thing, and I’m excited to see where it brings me,” he said.

Nedoroscik fully embraced his Clark Kent persona on Oscar Night at DWTS, dancing to the classic Superman theme with Rylee Arnold as Lois Lane. One fan even suggested how cool it would be if Tess McCracken could join her boyfriend if Nedorocik makes the final. “If he makes it to the finale, and they go gymnastics-themed with the freestyle, it would be amazing if Tess could participate!” wrote the r/Gymnastics community member.

Owing to the popularity of Rylee Arnold and Nedoroscik on the show and their chemistry, a fan wondered how McCracken would be feeling. They mentioned, “Stephen and Rylee definitely have a lot of on screen chemistry, I can imagine it being kind of awkward to figure out how to navigate it all. Hopefully Tess is able to go to some of the rehearsals and they all end up good friends!”

Rylee Arnold herself put any unfounded rumors to rest. “I love being single. It’s the best. I’ve been single for a while, but I love it,” the 19-year-old told People a week ago. We can expect Tess McCracken to be at her boyfriend’s side as he attempts to navigate the challenges in the ballroom and hoping for more success.