Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth are still alive this season on Dancing with the Stars.

But the state of this tandem on TV is not what has fellow contestants buzzing. Instead, they're reacting to recent photos that show the pair kissing.

"They might have been auditioning for a new romantic comedy, like Friends with Benefits," Karina Smirnoff joked about the make out session."They're both hot, young single people, so why not?"

Smirnoff, of course, is dating the man with whom she partnered on the series two years ago, Mario Lopez; although each has insisted that romance blossomed after their run on the show was over.

Cristian de la Fuente also doesn't see a problem with the romantic pairing: "When you spend a lot of time with somebody and you have a good relationship, you want to extend that working relationship to the house."

Lastly, let's hear from Mark Ballas, Hough's roommate and bandmate:

"He's single. She's single. Whatever. I think what's great about their relationship is they're really good friends and they get along really well. They have great chemistry."

That sums it up to us.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.