Heavy/Getty Val Chmerkovskiy is ready for season 32.
Val Chmerkovskiy is ready to compete on the 32nd season of “Dancing With the Stars” and he will be going up against his “stiffest competition” — his wife.
Chmerkovskiy previously told Heavy that both he and Jenna Johnson are planning on being part of season 32. Chmerkovskiy finished in second place with partner Gabby Windey on season 31 and Johnson took the season off because she was pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“I had an amazing season 31, so hopefully I could ride the momentum into season 32,” Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly in May 2023.
“Jen, you know, I got rid of my stiffest competition by impregnating her,” he joked, adding that Johnson “is so inspired and she’s yearning to be back on Dancing With the Stars, so I’m excited to see what she creates next season.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Val Chmerkovskiy Isn’t Ready to Retire From DWTS Just Yet
Chmerkovskiy’s older brother Maksim Chmerkovskiy left the ballroom after becoming a father because he felt that his life was moving in a different direction. However, becoming a dad hasn’t had the same affect on Val Chmerkovskiy — at least not yet.
“I’m down to be back for at least a few more years, until I’m no longer effective. As soon as I feel like my best dances are behind me, then I will be the one that empties the the spot — which is such a huge privilege to have — for the next guy,” he told Good Morning America in November 2022 — two months before his son, Rome, was born.
In an interview on the “Trading Secrets” podcast, Val Chmerkovskiy admitted having a tough few seasons on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“A year ago, I was heartbroken with my experience on the show,” he told podcast host Jason Tartick on the March 27, 2023, episode. “Not because of the show. Just my experience has been a long time since I felt the success I felt this season,” he added.
Prior to season 31 with Windey, Val Chmerkovskiy hadn’t made it to the semi-finals since season 24.
Val Chmerkovskiy Has Loved Seeing His Wife as a Mother
All jokes aside, Chmerkovskiy has really loved witnessing Johnson’s transition into a mom.
“Every day I see my wife as the mother that she is to our son has been the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her, and the most attracted I’ve ever been to her. So, it’s been very special,” he told People magazine.
“It’s our first child and it’s been an incredible challenge, but it’s been just wonderful and rewarding. It’s brought my wife and I even closer together and it’s just a blessing. It’s a beautiful thing,” he added.
Johnson has been trying to get her body back in shape so that she can take on the ballroom in September 2023, when the show returns to Disney+ and ABC. Johnson has been sharing videos of her workouts, including pilates, which she’s started doing again now that she’s four months postpartum, on social media.
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