Dancing With the Stars veteran Val Chmerkovskiy is not impressed by what he’s seen so far of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro contestant AJ Pritchard.
Chmerkovskiy, 40, criticized Pritchard, 31, on the Tuesday, July 21, episode of his “Stepping on Toes” podcast, cohosted by Danielle Fishel, while breaking down episode 2 of The Next Pro.
On the Monday, July 20, episode of The Next Pro, Pritchard and dance partner Selena Hamilton were tasked with choreographing a dance routine that told a personal story, ultimately deciding to tell the story of Pritchard’s 2015 British Open Youth Latin Championship victory. Pritchard appeared to take the lead in rehearsals, correcting Hamilton’s form using his feet and giving her ample notes, which apparently rubbed Chmerkovskiy the wrong way.
“It makes good TV at his expense. I guess that’s how I want to say it. There’s a part to it that I like,” the DWTS pro explained on Tuesday’s podcast episode. “I wish he just kind of wrapped that arrogance into a little softer presentation. I get it; you did your thing, you won some awards … we all got pedigree. Everybody’s won something.”
Pritchard is one of the 12 contestants competing on The Next Pro to become a professional dancer on season 35 of Dancing With the Stars this fall. He was previously a professional dancer on the U.K. version of the show, Strictly Come Dancing.
“I appreciate that he’s a well-accomplished competitive dancer, and he has experience … he had this job,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “So I understand if he’s coming in with this feeling of like… I’m not going to say entitlement — I don’t want to use that word — not a chip on his shoulder, but kind of like, ‘What am I even doing here? Why do I have to go through this process if I know I’m good enough and I already did this?’ I can appreciate that, but then, dude, don’t sign up for the show.”
“But if you are gonna show up, you’ve got to have humility in the sense that you’ve got to prove yourself right now,” the three-time DWTS champion said. “There’s a reason why you’re here and no longer have a job there. So be here, be present. Don’t live in the past.”
Chmerkovskiy particularly disapproved of Pritchard “using his foot to push [Hamilton’s] hip back” during their rehearsal.
“You’re not going to win people over unless they’re into that kind of thing … strategically, for the show, that is a huge turn-off,” he said.
Pritchard was a professional dancer on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing for four seasons from 2016 to 2019. He is the older brother of Love Island U.K. alum Curtis Pritchard, who has dated Maura Higgins and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.
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