Dancing with the Stars fans recently saw the debut of the spin-off, Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. Val Chmerkovskiy recently weighed in on the talent working on the show. However, he shared some choice words over one pro dancer with an interesting background.
Val Chmerkovskiy & Danielle Fishel Recently Weighed In On Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro
Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-born dancer and choreographer. He joined Dancing with the Stars during its second season, joining the series alongside his brother Maksim. Val was promoted to a pro in 2011.
Recently, Val sat down to chat with Danielle Fishel on their Stepping on Toes podcast. At the time, they recapped the second episode of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.
During the conversation, however, Val also shared a few words about the contestants vying to be a pro on Dancing with the Stars‘ Season 35. At one point, he called out AJ Pritchard, who previously appeared as a professional dancer on the BBC One dance series, Strictly Come Dancing, the series that serves as the basis of Dancing with the Stars. In particular, he alleged that he acted arrogantly while competing with partner Selena Hamilton on The Next Pro.
Val quipped, “It makes good TV at his expense. I guess that’s how I want to say it. I wish he wrapped that arrogance into a little softer presentation.”
Val continued, “I understand if he’s coming in with this feeling of like—I’m not gonna say entitlement, I don’t want to use that word. But if he comes in with not a chip on his shoulder, but kind of like, ‘What am I even doing here? Why do I have to go through this process if I already know I’m good enough and I already did this.’ I can appreciate that, but dude, then don’t sign up for the show.”
Val Ultimately Praised The Talent On The Spin-Off Overall, But Shared One Brief Warning
Looking at AJ’s career, Val acknowledged that he has earned a few awards over the years. This included the British Open Dance Championship, which Val dubbed the “Wimbledon of dance.” However, he felt that this didn’t necessarily justify attitude.
As Val shared, “We all got pedigree. Everybody’s won something. I appreciate that he’s a well-accomplished competitive dancer and he does have experience already at this job—he had this job.”
However, he questioned why Pritchard would even sign up for the series if he felt that his background already put him above the competition. Val continued, “If you are going to show up, you gotta have humility in the sense that you got to prove yourself right now. There’s a reason why you’re here and no longer have a job there. So, to be here, be present. Don’t live in the past.”
Ultimately, Val praised “incredible talent in the competitive ballroom community,” adding that he was grateful that a new generation gets to explore and enjoy it. However, he teased, “They’ll have to go through me.” For her part, Fishel joked that he would “welcome them in,” but Val quipped that he would “welcome them out.”
What is your reaction to Val Chmerkovskiy’s recent share? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.