Why Peta Murgatroyd, Maks Chmerkovskiy Calls DWTS a Popularity Contest

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Peta Murgatroyd isn’t holding back when it comes to sharing her opinions about how voting works on Dancing With the Stars.

The dancer, recently seen on season 32 of Dancing with the Stars, shared their thoughts on how the show chooses its winner, explaining that the celebrity who shows the biggest improvement doesn’t always win the Mirrorball Trophy.

She explained to TopMob News’ Erin Lim Rhodes, in an interview with her husband, Dancing with the Stars alum Maks Chmerkovskiy, that the competition has always been about popularity rather than skill. She said that the most talented dancer doesn’t necessarily come out on top.

In fact, Peta pointed out that she’s won twice with stars who have “zero experience” in dance.

I’ve won the show twice with partners who weren’t professional dancers,” the 39-year-old explained, recalling her victories with former NFL player Donald Driver in season 14 and model Nyle DiMarco in season 22. “Ultimately, viewers vote for the contestants they connect with and enjoy watching.”

Maks pointed out that Dancing with the Stars has a similar voting system to many other popular TV shows.

After twenty years, Dancing with the Stars remains unique in its ability to appeal to viewers of all ages – from grandparents to grandchildren – and everyone can still enjoy it, according to the 45-year-old, who left the show in 2018 after 17 seasons.

Maks believes that sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses on social media has sparked renewed interest in Dancing with the Stars, potentially contributing to the record number of votes cast by viewers this season.

He explained that the campaign combined the current popularity of TikTok with a well-established, successful TV product. Since TikTok is known for dance trends, the idea was to combine the two and help both platforms reach a wider audience.

As Peta also mentioned, including influencers with big followings significantly increases the excitement and reach.

“Holy moly, this is exploding,” she marveled at DWTS‘ popularity online. “It’s very smart.”

These days, Peta and Maks—who are parents to Shai, age 8, Rio, age 2, and 16-month-old Milan—are both pursuing projects outside of dancing. Peta hosts a podcast called The Penthouse with Peta and also runs her own self-tanner line, Peta Jane Beauty.

She described her career change as a really enjoyable and unique experience. She admitted she learned a lot on the job, and that’s been the best part.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’ve been following Maks’ journey with great interest, and it’s been wonderful to see his passion projects come to fruition! He launched Tetya Kapa Vodka last year, and honestly, he told me it feels like the perfect finishing touch, especially seeing his wife of eight years really thrive and find her own path. It’s just lovely to witness that kind of support and shared success!

“I love watching her be in that mode,” he raved. “I’m a big fan.”

To catch up with other DWTS pros who left the show, keep reading…

Karina was a professional dancer on the show for seasons 3 through 9, and then took a short break during season 10. She returned for the next nine seasons before taking another brief time off in season 20. She explained she wanted to pursue other projects, including writing a book.

She ended up returning for two more outings, but Karina officially left DWTS after season 22.

After retiring from dancing, Smirnoff appeared on the reality show Famously Single and later returned to professional dancing. In 2017, she explained that she still enjoyed her time on the ABC series and hadn’t completely ruled out the possibility of coming back.

Dancing with celebrities on the show is fun, but it’s a unique dynamic. You end up being more than just a dance partner – you’re also their coach, someone they can talk to, and their biggest supporter, I told Fox News. However, when you dance with a professional partner, it’s a true collaboration with someone equally skilled, and that creates a different kind of performance. I really missed that feeling when I was paired with celebrities.

Artem was surprised and upset when he learned he wouldn’t be competing professionally in the 2019 season. He described the conversations about his departure as difficult, sharing his feelings on The Bellas Podcast with his then-partner, Nikki Garcia (formerly Nikki Bella).

The dancer, a popular figure on the show who joined as a professional in 2014, learned he was let go just days before the cast announcement. He described the experience as feeling like a breakup, acknowledging the many good memories he had after dedicating a decade to the show. He said finding out so close to the announcement felt like a painful blow.

He then came back for seasons 29-32, even winning one with Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Derek is one of the most beloved professional dancers in the show’s history, and he’s won more mirrorball trophies than anyone else – a total of six! He’s also a highly-awarded choreographer, having won four Emmys for his work.

As a long-time follower of Dancing with the Stars, I’ve always admired the pros who really commit! This particular dancer was a staple on the show for years, joining in seasons 5 through 11. They took a break for a movie role during season 12, but then came back strong for seasons 13 through 21. It was quite a feat seeing them juggle DWTS with a Broadway show – they weren’t even originally planned for season 20, but ended up doing both! Season 23 was their last season as a professional dancer, and it was definitely bittersweet to see them go.

He was a judge on Jennifer Lopez’s dance competition show, World of Dance, before joining the judging panel for Dancing with the Stars beginning with season 29 in 2020.

After three seasons and two wins, Julianne announced she was leaving the ABC reality hit in 2008.

She told Ryan Seacrest that she wanted to concentrate on her music and be seen as a serious artist.

Despite initially leaving, she returned for the eighth season in 2009 because her boyfriend at the time, country singer Chuck Wicks, was a contestant. They were partnered together and finished in sixth place. This season marked her last appearance as a professional dancer on the show.

Julianne rejoined the show as a regular judge for seasons 19 through 21, and again for seasons 23 and 24. Before returning to Dancing with the Stars, she was a judge on America’s Got Talent and then became a co-host in 2023.

Mark became a professional dancer on the show in season five and remained a popular fixture for 18 seasons, winning two championships. He took a break for seasons 23 and 24 to star as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway, but returned to compete in season 25, finishing as the runner-up with Lindsey Stirling.

Mark then turned his attention to music, collaborating with his wife, BC Jean, as the duo Alexander Jean. They eventually signed a record deal.

He returned for season 31 with Charli D’Amelio and season 34 with Whitney Leavitt.

Oh, Maks.

This dancer, a fan favorite known for disagreeing with the judges and occasionally clashing with his celebrity partners, has had a complicated journey on the show. He’s left and come back multiple times, starting in 2012 when he initially announced his departure to focus on acting.

After 15 seasons, I’ve done pretty much everything there is to do on the show,” he explained to the New York Post. “It’s understandable that both the audience and the producers wouldn’t expect me to want to continue.

He came back for season 18 and finally won with Meryl Davis, but left the show immediately after. He returned again for seasons 23 through 25, and famously missed a performance while partnered with Vanessa Lachey.

Maks is now married to professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd, and when he wasn’t competing, he sometimes appeared as a guest judge.

This popular contestant first appeared in the show’s second season and participated in every season until she won in season nine. She took a break for season ten, then competed for six seasons straight before taking another three seasons off.

Luckily, she came back for season 20 and was partnered with Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank. They eventually fell in love and got married. Kym then took a break from the show for a few seasons before making one last appearance as a professional dancer in season 24.

Kym announced she was expecting twins in January 2018 and decided to retire from professional dancing, stating she’d “hung up her dancing shoes for good.” However, she left the door open to potentially returning to Dancing with the Stars in a different role.

She expressed interest in returning to the show in some capacity, perhaps as a judge or in another role, and she later appeared as a guest judge on season 34.

In 2022, after being on the show for over a decade, Lindsay decided to leave in order to dedicate more time to her children.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always reminding people to really savor these fleeting moments with their little ones. It feels like just yesterday they were babies, and now they’re growing up so quickly! I’m making a conscious effort to be fully present and soak up every single experience – I truly don’t want to miss a thing.

The dancer also mentioned the difficulty of balancing her work with family life, as she travels between Hollywood and her home in Utah. She explained that she’s prioritizing keeping her family together and doesn’t want to disrupt her children’s lives with frequent travel right now.

 

Sharna, a professional dancer who previously won season 27 with Bobby Bones and had been on the show for 12 seasons (reaching second place with three other celebrity partners), shared her reaction on Instagram after not being chosen as a pro for season 28.

She shared that her time on the show felt like a coming-of-age experience, and expressed how much she’ll miss it. She’s sad to leave the creativity, storytelling, and performing, as well as the impact dance had on others. She’ll also deeply miss her ‘Dancing with the Stars’ family and being inspired by their talent every day.

Sharna has been announced as the newest judge on the Australian version of the popular reality dancing competition, and she’s hinted at some exciting things to come on the show.

She returned for seasons 29 and 30, and was partnered with Brian Austin Green, whom she started dating during that time.

Cheryl first appeared on the show in its second season and went on to become the first woman and first competitor to win two seasons in a row. After participating in 18 consecutive seasons, she announced her departure before season 20. It was reported that she was considering a new variety show with NBC, but that project didn’t move forward. She returned for season 23, took a season off, and then decided to come back again for a special season – a significant one for both her and the show.

She excitedly announced her return for season 25, saying, “I’m back again!” While she previously danced with Ryan Lochte last season, she’s been looking forward to this one. This marks her 20th season on Dancing With the Stars, and she’s thrilled to be a part of this special anniversary season—season 25—both for the show and for herself.

Cheryl Burke married Matthew Lawrence in May 2019 and returned for season 28 of the show, but she left again in 2022. She made one final appearance as a guest judge on season 34.

Peta first appeared on the show in season 13 and quickly became a popular contestant, participating in every season until season 20 – and even winning once! Unfortunately, a severe ankle injury kept her from competing in season 21.

She made a successful comeback in season 22, winning the competition with her partner, Nyle DiMarco. Then, just six months after having her first child, she competed in season 25 with Nick Lachey before taking another break from Dancing with the Stars.

After taking three seasons off to be with her son, Shai, and former Dancing with the Stars partner Maks Chmerkovskiy, Peta returned to compete on the show.

She told US Weekly she was thrilled to be returning, saying she’d been hoping and praying for months that everything would fall into place. She explained that the timing was right for her family, as Maks had other commitments and their daughter, Shai, was in good hands. It just felt like the perfect moment.

Her most recent run was on season 32.

Tony Dovolani started competing on Dancing with the Stars in season two and participated for 20 seasons, winning once. His last partner on the show was Marla Maples, during season 22.

Tony shared on Instagram that he’s leaving the show, saying he’ll miss performing and connecting with viewers, but wants to dedicate more time to expanding his Dance With Me USA studios and teaching. He also plans to travel and continue performing at events.

The dancer, who first became known on So You Think You Can Dance, became a professional on the show in season 19 and continued competing for two more seasons. She took a break during season 22 after announcing she was pregnant with her second child with her husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, also a SYTYCD alum, during a live episode of Dancing with the Stars.

Six months after having her baby, Allison came back for her 23rd season, which turned out to be the final one of her professional career.

She announced on Instagram that she won’t be returning to Dancing with the Stars this season, wanting to let her family, friends, and fans know first. She expressed her love for the show and its people, and shared her excitement for the new contestants.

Lacey became a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars after finishing fourth on season three of So You Think You Can Dance. She danced as a pro on DWTS for seasons 7 through 13, with a brief stint as a troupe member in season 10.

Following the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, Lacey shared that she was departing the show to pursue other projects, such as recording an album and launching a clothing line.

I need to take a break and prioritize what’s important right now,” she told SheKnows. “I’m working on better managing my time.”

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2025-12-12 01:49