Whether she ends up with the Mirror Ball trophy or not, Kirstie Alley has emerged as the year's feel-good story on 'Dancing With the Stars,' and while she's losing a ton of weight, she's gained something in return.

"Maks and Kirstie are going to be friends for life," a friend of Kirstie's tells me about her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. "They have bonded on so many levels. He has done more for her than any doctor or dietitian. She wishes she could bottle him up and sell him to all those ladies who need to lose a few pounds."

Here's hoping Kirstie has a talk with Maksim about staying on the show to help out other stars. He tells AOL TV that this season has left him "drained" and that he's thinking about hanging up his dancing shoes.