DWTS’ Peta Murgatroyd Defends Maks Chmerkovskiy’s “Passionate” Remarks

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When Maksim Chmerkovskiy dances into controversy, Peta Murgatroyd will always be by his side.

The 39-year-old, who married her Dancing With the Stars co-star in 2017, responded to her husband’s controversial opinions about the show. She explained that his passionate and outspoken personality is actually one of the things she loves about him.

She explained on the December 19th episode of the Pod Meets World podcast that she was looking for someone with strength and a lot of passion. She added that, ultimately, it’s the feeling behind someone’s words that really matters.

Okay, seriously, Peta totally gets it. It’s not what Maks says, it’s how he says it! He gets so fired up, his critiques just come across way stronger than they need to, you know? It’s like, chill out a little, Maks! I love his passion, but sometimes it’s a bit much, even for me, and I’m a huge fan!

She admitted that he sometimes doesn’t express himself perfectly and can come across the wrong way. However, she explained that this is simply part of who he is – his background, his culture, and his natural speaking style. He speaks with such intensity because he feels strongly about things, not because he’s upset or resentful.

Maks, a 45-year-old known for speaking his mind, recently faced criticism for his comments about Jan Ravnik, a professional dancer on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. He stated that Ravnik, who previously danced backup for Taylor Swift, shouldn’t be on the show.

He explained in an October appearance on his wife’s podcast, The Penthouse With Peta, that there’s a complete lack of basic skills, good workmanship, and a clear understanding of how to work together. He added that it’s ridiculous how obvious the problems are, yet people seem unwilling to acknowledge them.

A few days later, Maks publicly apologized to Jan, who is 30 years old, and suggested they meet to talk things over in person.

Maks shared in an Instagram video that he had a lot more to discuss and hoped to meet in person – maybe over coffee – to resolve their differences and move forward. He expressed a desire to make amends.

Curious about how Dancing With the Stars chooses its contestants? We’re sharing some behind-the-scenes details…

In 2019, Variety reported that celebrities appearing on Dancing With the Stars initially earn around $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show. According to sources, contestants who advance further receive additional payments each week, potentially bringing their total earnings up to $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.

The radio host revealed on Jason Tartick’s podcast, Trading Secrets, in September 2025 that the show’s pay structure increases with each episode. They explained that while the first episode pays nothing, the second earns $10,000. Payments then generally follow a pattern of $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000, ultimately reaching $50,000 per episode for those who continue with the show.

In addition to a salary of about $110,000, Bones revealed he earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.

Details about professional dancers’ earnings haven’t been widely released either. However, like the contestants, it appears their pay increases the further they advance on the show.

But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.

Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the The Morning After podcast, hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, that dancers are typically guaranteed work for a set number of weeks. However, she added that contracts vary and she couldn’t comment on the specifics of everyone’s agreement.

Apparently not.

Professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars, like Jenna Johnson – who has won seasons 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and season 33 with Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor – don’t earn extra money for winning the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. However, she points out that reaching the finale is still rewarding, beyond just the prestige.

She explained on The Morning After that reaching the finale means you get paid for the entire season, plus a bonus. But winning isn’t about a large cash prize – it’s just a shared trophy with your teammate.

That doesn’t appear to be the case.

In a 2022 appearance on Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold shared that her pay was reduced by more than half after she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.

On the May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers’ podcast, Hot Smart Rich, Lindsay explained that people in these situations have no input. She said it’s often simply, ‘Here’s who you’re with, now make the relationship succeed.’

In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.

Jenna explained on The Morning After that the show aims to keep the cast a complete surprise until the live reveal. People often assume the show knows who’s participating and deliberately keeps it under wraps, but that’s not the case. The producers don’t even share the cast list with the hosts – they want it to be a genuine surprise for everyone involved, even though leaks sometimes happen. The goal is to have that real reaction when contestants meet their partners for the first time.

As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?

According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the show’s pairings weren’t random. In a 2015 interview with TopMob News, he explained they considered height, body type, personality, and how well contestants would likely get along. They avoided pairing people who clearly wouldn’t connect, as the experience is already very demanding. Unlike shows like The Bachelor, forcing incompatible matches would create a negative experience for everyone involved – the celebrity, the production team, and the audience. Wade admitted they’d made that mistake in the past, pairing people who simply didn’t click.

Let me tell you, being on Dancing with the Stars is a full-time commitment! As someone who’s seen behind the scenes, the dedication is incredible. Rylee Arnold, who was on season 33, shared on a recent podcast that rehearsals are four hours long – either morning, afternoon, or evening. But it doesn’t end there! After those intense sessions, there are meetings with producers, choreography work, and even hours spent studying dance footage. She basically lives and breathes the show, and honestly, that’s what makes it so amazing. It’s truly a no-days-off situation. They perform on Tuesdays, then it’s straight back to rehearsals Wednesday through Sunday. Monday is for camera blocking, and then the cycle starts all over again on Tuesday! It’s demanding, yes, but when you love what you do, it makes all the difference.

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in a September 2025 Instagram video that they were mostly on board with something, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to create a unique story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have only five days – just half a day per costume, before even adding rhinestones – to make everything. The department employs around 20 people, plus a separate tailor shop, making it a large operation.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, revealed that dancers often don’t try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While some basic pieces might be reused for male dancers, most costumes are custom-made each week.

Gschwendtner added that they’ll reuse items for group performances or promotional shoots, but never for the competition itself. The goal is to keep everything fresh and new each week to maintain visual interest for the audience.

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2025-12-22 21:19