Maksim Chmerkovskiy Explains Why He’s Not Returning to ‘DWTS’
“Dancing with the Stars” returns for a 32nd season, with Julianne Hough tapped to take over Tyra Banks‘ Spot as co-host during “Prince of Bel Air” Actor Alfonso Ribero co-host returns. Hough’s brother, Derek Houghwill also return to the judge’s table Carrie Ann Inaba And Bruno Tonioli.
The full cast has been announced, including many professional dancers Peta Murgaroyd And Jenna Johnson When they returned with their celebrity partners, one iconic name was missing from the list: Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy on why he won’t return for ‘DWTS’
Maks Chmerkovskiy has not danced on the ABC competition show since season 25, where he dated Vanessa Lachey, and has announced his retirement. Since his wife Peta Murgatroyd, his brother Val Chmerkovskiy and Val’s wife Jenna Johnson have all been on the show, many have been wondering if Maks would also return and come out of retirement.
Unfortunately for Maks’ fans who want to see him again on “Dancing With the Stars,” that won’t happen. “First and foremost, for business reasons, I had a contract that I renewed a few times, but when the renewal was canceled, it was a mutual decision,” Chmerkovskiy told The Blast exclusively.
“The reality is we just grew up,” he added. “You can’t expect Michael Jordan to keep playing even if you want to watch him, and I think that’s very similar.” [situation].”
Chmerkovskiy further explained that he “felt like I had to move on” because the show was “going through some changes and transformations.”
“Today the show has kind of come full circle and I’m back to the format that I like more,” he told The Blast. “The components like Alfonso [Ribeiro] Taking over what Tom Bergeron once was. It was a big moment in the course of the show.”
He added: “I think the cast of dancers is great and I feel strongly as a fan and I want to keep the show going and I want to continue to help promote it and I do that because I “I’m still a dancer, that’s me.” I still dance, I just don’t dance on TV.”
Maks Chmerkovskiy on his family’s legacy
The professional dancer went on to explain that he felt if his wife wasn’t Peta Murgatroyd, his brother wasn’t Val Chmerkovskiy, and Val wasn’t married to Jenna Johnson, these conversations wouldn’t be happening.
“I think if I wasn’t married to Peta [Murgatroyd]and if my brother wasn’t Val [Chmerkovskiy]And [his wife] wasn’t Jenna [Johnson]“I don’t think we would have those conversations,” he told The Blast. “I think that [the show] I kind of moved on to other things and people stopped asking me about it, but every year I feel like it’s a Peta, Val, Jenna and… thing [then people ask] “Are you going to be there too?”
“Why would I want that? Mathematically speaking, there are more Chmerkovskiys on the show than ever before,” he said with a laugh. “And so for me I think it’s great the way it is, let it be, I’m a fan at this point.”
The full cast of the upcoming season is as follows:
- Tyson Beckford-Jenna Johnson
- Ariana Madix – Pasha Pashkov
- Adrian Peterson-Britt Stewart
- Barry Williams – Peta Murgatroyd
- Charity Lawson – Artem Chigvintsev
- Harry Jowsey-Rylee Arnold
- Jamie Lynn Spears – Alan Bersten
- Jason Mraz – Danielle Karagach
- Lele Pons – Brandon Armstrong
- Matt Walsh – Koko Iwasaki
- Mauricio Umansky – Emma Slater
- Mira Sorvino – Gleb Savchenko
- Xochitl Gonez – Val Chmerkovskiy
- Alyson Hannigan – Sasha Farber
“Dancing With the Stars” will air later this year on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.