Why Maks Chmerkovskiy Is Returning To 'Dancing With The Stars'

Photo credit: Maks Chmerkovskiy/Instagram

So Maks Chmerkovskiy decided to return to the ballroom on Dancing With the Stars for Season 23. I watched the reactions pour in on social media yesterday when a photo was leaked from the set of the promo shoot — there was Maks with contestant Amber Rose. So many of you were surprised to see him return, but I really wasn’t.

He left the show after winning Season 18 with partner Meryl Davis. It was a great note to leave on; he went out on a high and the couple really had a fantastic season together.

Why would he ever choose to return? It’s pretty simple. Even with ratings dropping because overall TV viewership is down, DWTS remains a Top 10 show. It’s a Top 10 show after 22 seasons and that’s mighty impressive.

When a successful show comes calling and makes you an offer that you can’t refuse, I imagine most pros would return. While I don’t know the circumstances as to why Maks is returning, there are a lot of factors that can play into this.

Maks and Peta Murgatroyd have a baby on the way, so why not make as much money as possible in the lead-up to the baby’s birth? As any parent would tell you, it’s a sound financial strategy.

Photo credit: Maks Chmerkovskiy/Instagram

In Hollywood, pregnancy and babies are very bankable. By keeping himself out there, it makes his family story even more compelling. It’s why People magazine has a whole section of their website dedicated to Celebrity Babies. I love Maks and Peta’s love story, so this adds to the intrigue.

Maks also might have been requested by his partner. This strategy has worked very well in recent seasons bringing back pros we haven’t seen in awhile. It worked well for Paula Deen and Louis van Amstel and last season's pairing of Geraldo Rivera and Edyta Sliwinska. If ABC wants a celeb badly enough, their request for a pro might be easily granted.

Even if Maks said he was done with the show, life changes, circumstances change and sometimes you can go home again.

Photo credit: Maks Chmerkovskiy/Instagram

I did it over 10 years ago after I left a network job that never suited me well. After a year away from the job, the network asked me to fill in for five-to-six months while they hired a permanent host. I was able to rewrite history and ask for a few things that I knew would make my temporary time there a happy experience. They were able to meet my needs, I filled in for six months and we all walked away from the experience satisfied.

No matter how you feel about Maks as a pro, I can tell you from the media side that Maks and Derek Hough are the ones who generate the most headlines, interest and clicks. You want a season that’s buzzworthy? Then you better hope that one of those two dancers are on your cast list as often as possible.

This will be a season we talk about and I look forward to it because the last time I felt this much heat around DWTS was Season 18… and yes, Maks and Derek were competing.

Are you excited about Maks returning to DWTS?

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