Val Chmerkovskiy Criticizes ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’ Contestant for Being Arrogant

Paige StroutThu, July 23, 2026 at 7:33 PM UTC

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Val Chmerkovskiy, 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 34 premiere, ABC, September 16, 2025. - Disney/Stewart Cook

Val Chmerkovskiy has some thoughts about one of the dancers competing on Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.

The longtime Dancing With the Stars pro recently teamed up with Season 34 contestant Danielle Fishel to launch the Stepping on Toespodcast, on which the duo breaks down the dances and drama on The Next Pro.

The spinoff’s second episode, which aired on Monday, July 20, saw the remaining contestants split off in pairs to create routines based on one of their life stories. “AJ [Pritchard] and Selena [Hamilton] decide to tell his story about winning the British Open Dance Championship in 2015,” Fishel recalled during the podcast’s Tuesday, July 21, episode. “And it seems like AJ runs a tight ship, giving Selena a lot of notes for technique correction in the jive.”

When asked to share his thoughts, Chmerkovskiy joked, “I’m getting too comfortable on this podcast.” He went on to share his candid comments about Pritchard in particular, stating the show “makes good TV at his expense.” Pritchard previously served as a pro on DWTS‘ U.K. counterpart, Strictly Come Dancing, for four seasons.

“I wish he just kind of wrapped that arrogance into like a little softer presentation,” Chmerkovskiy stated. “I get it. You did your thing, you won some awards, but so did Natalie [Jolley]. We all got pedigree. Everybody wants something. Now, again, I appreciate that he’s a well-accomplished competitive dancer, and he does have experience as a — he had this job. So, I understand if he’s coming in with this feeling of, I’m not going to say entitlement. I don’t want to use that word.”

Disney/Vince Valitutti

Chmerkovskiy said that if Pritchard came into the show with a “chip on his shoulder,” then he shouldn’t have joined the series. “If you are going to show up, you got to have humility, in the sense that you got to prove yourself right now,” he stated. “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.”

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Chmerkovskiy also noted that during the episode, it wasn’t explained why Pritchard’s story for the dance was chosen over Hamilton’s. Additionally, he critiqued some of Pritchard’s methods of teaching Hamilton jive technique, such as using his foot to push back her hips.

“I’m going to have some grace on that, because that is something that would be done in some rooms, and not have like any negative energy to it. It’s just the utility of, ‘We’re here, and I can use my foot,'” Chmerkovskiy told Fishel. “And I get that, but all in all, together, and then that visual, 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.”

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Pritchard and Hamilton received mixed feedback from the judges for their routine. “You need to come here with some creativity. It will not wash in the United States,” judge Shirley Ballas said to Pritchard, referring to how he used similar steps from his jive routine the week before. “Having said that, the partnering skills are outstanding.”

Shirley went on to state that Hamilton “ate [Pritchard] for lunch” with her performance. Mark Ballas and guest judge Brandon Armstrong both encouraged Pritchard to work on his storytelling through dance going forward, citing that most people couldn’t relate to his experience winning the British Open Dance Championship.

Pritchard and Hamilton were ultimately safe from the episode’s elimination.

Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”