Jenna Johnson Says Val Chmerkovskiy Isn’t Ready to Retire from ‘DWTS’
Photo by: ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 3 minutes
Dancing With the Stars professional Jenna Johnson confirmed that Val Chmerkovskiy’s not ready to retire just yet. Both Chmerkovskiy and Johnson hope to be involved in the series after its migration to Disney +.
Fans have been dying to know if Val Chmerkovskiy is actually departing from Dancing With the Stars or not. For those who don’t know, Chmerkovskiy announced that he’s ready to move on from the series following his season 30 elimination. At the time, he noted that the show wouldn’t want him back since he hasn’t gotten close to winning a Mirrorball in a few seasons. With the next season around the corner, Chmerkovskiy seems to be eager for redemption in the ballroom.
Val Chmerkovskiy Wants to Return to Dancing With the Stars
Recently, Chmerkovskiy’s wife and fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson, revealed that he isn’t ready to take off his dancing shoes quite yet. She hinted that the Mirrorball champion is eager for redemption in the ballroom.
“Val is definitely excited to come back for another season and I think that he’s in the best shape of his life right now,” she said. “I’m not sure what happened to him in 2022, but he is snatched, chiseled, and really inspired right now.”
Within the statement, Johnson confirmed that they don’t know if they are returning for the next season or not. She reiterated that professional dancers typically find out that they’re returning right before the season starts. Even though nothing is official, it’s great to hear that Chmerkovskiy is “inspired and excited” for Dancing With the Stars.
Chmerkovskiy joined the Dancing With the Stars cast in 2011 and has remained apart of the series ever since. In his time on the series, he’s been given some of the most popular celebrity partners, like Zendaya, Laurie Hernandez, and more. He’s won two Mirrorball trophies, but has come close to a second on multiple occasions.
Jenna Johnson Would Be Willing to Be Apart of Another Same-sex Pair on Dancing With the Stars
When looking forward on this season, Johnson acknowledged that Dancing With the Stars professionals have no idea who their partners will be. Even though they’re able to suggest people to casting directors, “none of it” is up to them. She confirmed that producers like to keep the celebrities a secret even from the professional dancers.
Since Johnson made history along with JoJo Siwa as the first ever same sex pair in the ballroom, the dancer states that she’s “up for any challenge” this season. She doesn’t think anything will scare her anymore. Johnson is excited for her partner this season and would be open to being apart of another same-sex pair.
Johnson began her run on DWTS in season 23 with her partner Jake T. Austin. After a brief hiatus she returned to the show for Dancing With the Stars: Athletes. She won her first Mirrorball with partner Adam Rippon in the Athlete season. In the past two seasons, Johnson has finished in second place with Nev Schulman and JoJo Siwa. With six seasons of DWTS under her belt, could she be the person to beat in season 31?
