Getty Images Carrie Ann Inaba weighs in on pro who didn't return.
The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” is missing some fan favorite pros, including Sharna Burgess and Lindsay Arnold. The two moms chose to sit out the season for personal reasons, both wanting to spend time at home with their families rather than compete.
Arnold competed on season 30 with “Bachelor” star Matt James. The two finished in 12th place. On August 31, 2022, Arnold shared a candid Instagram caption about her decision to stay in Utah with her husband and their 1-year-old daughter, Sage.
“I wanted to let you all know that I have decided not to be a part of Dancing With the Stars this season. This has been one of the hardest decisions to make but ultimately I have chosen what I feel is best for myself and my family. DWTS has been a part of my life for over 10 years now and when I say I love the show with all of my heart I mean it!! This show has changed my life forever and will always mean the world to me,” Arnold wrote.
On September 17, 2022, longtime DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba weighed in on Arnold’s decision to step back from the show.
Here’s what you need to know:
Inaba Is Hoping That Arnold Will Return to the Show ‘in the Future’
Although Arnold didn’t say whether or not she intends on competing on DWTS in future seasons, Inaba said that she’d like to see Arnold try for another Mirrorball at some point — “because she’s incredible.”
In a Q&A shared on her Instagram Stories, Inaba was asked, “Do you miss not having Lindsay Arnold back on DWTS?”
“Aw, yes. I was sad when Lindsay wasn’t announced on the cast this year and I think she’s made a choice to be with her family this season and, you know, once a family of ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ always a family,” Inaba responded.
“My hope is that she will return in the future because she’s incredible. We love you, Lindsay,” she added.
Arnold May Not Be Done With DWTS
Although Arnold has competed on several seasons of “Dancing With the Stars” over the years, it has become increasingly more difficult for her and her family, especially once she and her husband Sam Cusick had a baby.
“You all know that family is the most important thing to me and doing what is best for my daughter is always going to be at the top of my list! As many of you know my family and I live in UT and in order to do DWTS I have to move myself and my daughter Sage out to LA and leave behind my husband Sam who works full time here in Utah. Logistically there is SO much involved with making this happen and there is a lot of sacrifice that has to be made that unfortunately just did not feel right for us this time around,” Arnold wrote on Instagram.
She told her fans that she and Cusick “exhausted every option” but ultimately decided that it wasn’t going to work. And while there was some finality to Arnold’s statement, she did make it clear that she’s not closing the door on the show completely.
It “doesn’t mean that this is the end for me and DWTS,” she wrote.
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