Will Maks and Val Return to 'Dancing with the Stars' This Fall?
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Dancing with the Stars will be returning to Disney+ this fall for another season of celebs and their pro partners in the ballroom, but as always, the question remains who will be tackling the tango, samba and cha cha cha in hopes of getting a 10 from the judges.
Parade spoke to two of the dance competition’s fan favorites Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy to check their status for season 32.
Val, of course, was paired last season with The Bachelorette’s Gabby Windey for a second-place finish, and he says he’s back in the fall, but Maks hasn’t danced in the competition since season 25 when he was paired with Vanessa Lachey. At that time, Maks announced his retirement, but there has been buzz lately that he might return, so we had to check in with him—and we didn’t get a definite no.
“We shall see,” Maks told Parade. “But I’m focused on other things, and I have been focused on other things.”
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What could make a difference is the return of showrunner/executive producer Conrad Green, who is back running the ballroom, and was who Maks worked with back in his heyday on the show.
“We’re friends, and I love Conrad and I think he’s doing an incredible job,” Maks said cryptically. Then he added that he’s always felt a connection to the series. “I never felt like my position was not fulfilled. I never felt like the show moved on and I didn’t. So, the fact that my wife [Peta Murgatroyd] is on the show, my brother is on the show, my sister-in-law [Jenna Johnson] is on the show, my son was in the belly when my wife was winning the show, it’s like that’s the connection. “I’ll never not be a fan of Dancing with the Stars and never not be the alum.”
As for the possibility of returning as a guest judge, he pooh-poohs that as been there, done that.
“I’ve already done that,” he says. “But like I said, the powers-that-be there are the thought processes behind everything, and the decisions are not being made without thought given to it. So, I’m looking forward to a lot of things coming up, for sure, and Dancing with the Stars may be one of those things.”
ABC/Eric McCandless
What both brothers can agree upon is the fact that Alfonso Ribeiro will make an excellent host, replacing Tyra Banks, as will Julianne Hough who is rejoining DWTS as the co-host.
“I think it’s great.,” Val said. “I thought Alfonso did a great job co-hosting last year. I think he’s an incredible host. Julianne is going to add a lot to the show as well. She’s been a judge, she’s been a contestant, and now she’s going to be a co-host.”
Val is looking forward to working with both of them again because he says there’s a synergy because there’s a family tie, a relationship that goes beyond the work that they do.
“The fact that there are ties with Alfonso, ties with Julianne, and ties with all of us, there is a lot of chemistry amongst all of us on set, and I think that really translates in the lens, and I am really looking forward to the fall and seeing all of it come together,” he adds.
As for the ladies in their lives, it is less clear. Jenna had to sit out last season because of her pregnancy, but Val says that she’s interested in returning, but it’s not so clear for Peta, who is pregnant with her and Maks’ second child, who is due in June.
That said, the reason for our conversation with the dancing duo was another connection of theirs: Subway, which is adding four of its classics to the Subway Series menu, which was introduced in July 2022—the Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Italian B.M.T., Chicken & Bacon Ranch and Spicy Italian—and adding two new ones— the Pickleball Club™ and the Teriyaki Blitz.
“When we first moved [to the U.S. from Odessa], we grew up in Brooklyn, New York,” explained Val. “There’s a huge sandwich culture there; Subway being a part of that culture. Going to dance practice and always being on the run, traveling around the city, the Subway sandwich was always the go-to. So, it’s like a full circle moment that now all these years later we’re collaborating. We actually, today, got to make our own sandwiches, and so, it’s been really, really fun.”
At one point in time, the brothers considered opening a Subway franchise, but then their dancing careers took off and the idea was put on the back burner—maybe to be reconsidered in the future.
Their favorite sandwiches? Val’s favorite is Old Pro Teriyaki and Maks’ is Ultimate BMT, which stands for Big Meaty Tasty, he says.
Next, Dancing with the Stars Will Look Very Different for Season 32
