Why Did Val Chmerkovskiy Return To ‘DWTS’ This Year After All?
Ukrainian dancer Val Chmerkovskiy said that Season 30 would be his last season with Dancing With The Stars. After many happy years and two Mirrorball Trophies, he simply decided he no longer wished to continue.
In Season 30, he partnered with influencer Olivia Jade and formed a remarkable bond with her. After that came to an end, Val told the press he planned to retire and focus on other endeavors.
The 36-year-old dancer surprised everyone when he announced that he would return for Season 31 after all. So what exactly prompted Val to change his mind?
Val Chmerkovskiy opens up about returning to the ballroom
This year, Val Chmerkovskiy is partnering with The Bachelorette star Gabby Windey. The two are currently caught in a three-way tie for first place and stand a real shot at bringing home the championship. Time and time again, they easily impress the judges.
Fans are glad he opted to return for another year. But what motivated him to come back?
Parade.com caught up with Val to talk about the season. And of course, his retirement announcement from last year game up.
“There was talk at the end of last season that you were thinking of leaving. Why did you want to leave? And why have you decided to return this season?” the interviewer asked.
“I don’t think I ever wanted to leave. I said that it potentially could be my last season because it was a cocktail of different emotions,” Val admitted. “One emotion was, obviously, disappointment. That interview came right after I was eliminated last season. But mostly it came from just emotionally being exhausted. I generally put my heart and soul into this project, I care about it immensely. I care about dance. Broadly speaking I care about being a good teacher and being a good ambassador of dance. But also, I care about the show.”
Either way, fans are just really glad to have him back. It looks as if Val and Gabby will probably make it to the final four, but fans hope they will go even farther than that.
The dancer prepares to embrace fatherhood
In any normal year, Val’s wife Jenna Johnson joins him in the competition. This year she’s sitting out. She’s carrying their first child and is due in January. However, fans that look carefully can still spot Jenna in the audience from time to time. She wouldn’t miss out on a chance to cheer on her husband.
This Monday kicks off Disney+ Night. Starting at 8 PM eastern time, fans can tune in and catch Val and Gabby competing for the Mirrorball Trophy. This week, they’ll perform the Quickstep to “Mr. Blue Sky” from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Stay tuned for more DWTS news!
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