“Dancing With the Stars” pro Gleb Savchenko isn’t competing this year, but he’s still keeping up with the show from home.
After the “Super Bowl Night” controversy, Val Chmerkovskiy has been temporarily suspended for one week. Eliminated pro Alan Bersten will step in to perform with Val’s partner, Jenna Dewan.
Changing partners in the middle of the season can be tricky, even if it’s just for one episode. However, “Dancing With the Stars” fans overwhelmingly feel that Alan is up to the challenge.
Gleb Savchenko Felt Disappointed by Val Chmerkovskiy’s Suspension
Ahead of “Dedication Night,” Gleb Savchenko hosted a TikTok livestream for fans. During the broadcast, he spoke candidly about Val Chmerkovskiy being benched for the week. Gleb and Val have been close friends for years, so he understandably would feel upset about the suspension.
After his comments about Carrie Ann Inaba, Val Chmerkovskiy apologized for his words.
“Hi everyone. As you may have seen in the news, I won’t be in the ballroom this week,” the Ukrainian dancer issued a public apology. “In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
Val went on to say that he doesn’t want the controversy to distract fans from Jenna Dewan’s hard work. He concluded the post by asking fans to send the entire DWTS family lots of love.
“I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!” Val wrote.
As noted in previous interviews, the “Dancing With the Stars” cast is incredibly close. Fans hope to see everyone come together and move past the ongoing issues. Some contestants, including Harry Shum Jr., have done everything in their power to spread messages of love and kindness online.
Alan Bersten Has Proved Himself as an Accomplished Pro Dancer
During his 11 seasons as a “Dancing With the Stars” pro, Alan Bersten has had a rather successful run. He won season 28 with “The Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown and was the runner-up with Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher in season 33. He also reached the finale three times with partners Alexis Ren, Amanda Kloots, and Elaine Hendrix.
This year, Alan and his partner, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, were eliminated during week two. Even so, fans have enjoyed seeing the professional dancer offer support to his castmates and step in when needed. His girlfriend, Emma Slater, often collabs with him and asks for his advice.
While speaking with influencer Kate Mackz, Alan gushed over the opportunity to work alongside his partner. When asked if they ever get competitive, the 32-year-old gave a sweet answer.
“No, honestly people ask us this all the time,” Alan replied. “It’s just so supportive. We help each other. Like if I am creating the dance and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to do here.’ She’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, why don’t you try this?’ She’s very supportive.”
This week, Alan and Jenna Dewan will perform the Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers. “The Rookie” star plans to honor her mother, Nancy, with her routine.
“Dancing With the Stars” presents “Dedication Night” this Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Tune in and vote for your favorite couples to keep them moving forward in the competition.
Comments
Gleb Savchenko Weighs in on Val Chmerkovskiy Missing ‘Dancing With the Stars’ For ‘Dedication Night’