'DWTS' Star Val Chmerkovskiy Says Pregnant Jenna Johnson is Happy Working on Their 'Life Goals'

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Finale" Four celebrity and pro-dancer couples dance and compete in the live season finale where one couple will win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, MONDAY, NOV. 23 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC.
DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Finale" Four celebrity and pro-dancer couples dance and compete in the live season finale where one couple will win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, MONDAY, NOV. 23 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

Val Chmerkovskiy is representing his family on Dancing with the Stars this season.

On Thursday, Chmerkovskiy spoke to reporters at DWTS Season 31 virtual press conference about how pregnant wife Jenna Johnson is feeling about sitting out this season of the show.

"She's just pregnant with so much emotion," he joked.

"No, she's excited. She obviously misses all of this, but she'll vicariously experience it through our journey, and this is a good break for her," the dancing pro noted.

Giving his wife credit for having "an amazing run the past couple of years," he said that it definitely felt like "a good time for her to take a second to pursue our outside of work dreams, our life goals."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: (L-R) Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy attend the 2022 ESPYs at Dolby Theatre on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/WireImage)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: (L-R) Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy attend the 2022 ESPYs at Dolby Theatre on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/WireImage)

Momodu Mansaray/WireImage

RELATED: Val Chmerkovskiy and Pregnant Jenna Johnson Reveal They're Having a Baby Boy: 'So Excited!'

Recent Bachelorette lead Gabby Windey will be Chmerkovskiy's partner in the ballroom this season, ABC and Disney+ announced Thursday.

"And so, I'll hold it down for both of us for now, and then she'll be back next season for sure," he said of the season ahead, adding that Johnson, "has all the plans to be back on the dancefloor."

This season's cast also includes The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice with partner Pasha Pashkov, actor and comedian Wayne Brady with partner Witney Carson, actress Selma Blair with partner Sasha FarberArnold Schwarzenegger's son and fitness model Joseph Baena with partner Daniella Karagach, and Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino with partner Koko Iwasaki.

Also joining the cast is Coda star Daniel Durant with partner Britt Stewart, country singer Jessie James Decker with partner Alan Bersten and singer Jordin Sparks with partner Brandon Armstrong.

Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy Expecting Their First Baby  Can we please tool these with People Exclusive tag? Credit: Claire Lejune  SOCIAL: TAG with IG HANDLE  @LADYBAGUETTE
Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy Expecting Their First Baby Can we please tool these with People Exclusive tag? Credit: Claire Lejune SOCIAL: TAG with IG HANDLE @LADYBAGUETTE

Claire Lejeune

The couple shared the exciting news that they're expecting a son on Instagram last week with a fun sex reveal featuring confetti poppers.

In what appears to be a professional photoshoot, Johnson, 28, and Chmerkovskiy, 36, smile in anticipation of the news. The first photo is black-and-white while the following snaps are in color, showing that the confetti is blue.

"IT'S A ... BOY!!!!!!! 💙Today we are officially halfway there to meeting our son. Saying those words still makes me emotional!!" Johnson captioned the pictures.

"SO EXCITED to be a boy mom 😭," she also wrote, and added that she would be posting a new video on her YouTube channel on Monday with all the details.