On Monday, Good Morning America delivered the news that Dancing With the Stars fans were waiting all weekend for — Artem Chigvintsev was returning to the show after an absence on Season 28. Chigvintsev doesn't arrive alone, he has his new baby boy and fiancée Nikki Bella.
The news wasn't a huge surprise given the fact the morning show spilled the beans in a Friday promo spot. It didn't matter though, viewers were ready to see him back on the ballroom floor the moment they heard he was cut in Season 28.
In honor of his big return, here are a few fast facts about the DWTS pro.
Mirrorball Trophy
He might not have a Mirrorball Trophy on the U.S. version, but he won Strictly Come Dancing in his first season as a pro with Kara Tointon. He spent four seasons in total on the U.K. show.
Season 18
Season 18 was Chigvintsev's first season on Dancing With the Stars, where he was a member of the troupe. That season was also the debut of Disney Night on DWTS and no one could ever forget Chigvintsev playing a chef in Val Chmerkovskiy's Beauty and the Beast Quickstep with partner Danica McKellar.
In Da Club
Patti LaBelle wasn't going to win the Mirrorball Trophy in Season 20, but she was certainly the coolest kid "in da club." Chigvintsev choreographed a memorable high-concept Salsa for LaBelle, who reminded viewers that 70 is sexy.
So You Think You Can Dance
So many dance fans still don't know this dance history fact, but Chigvintsev was on the inaugural season of So You Think You Can Dance. He placed in the Top 8 in Season 1 and made a big fan out of judge Mary Murphy.
Burn The Floor
Chigvintsev also took his talents to the Broadway and West End stage in Burn The Floor. He came in as one of the replacements on the Broadway production and he worked alongside some familiar DWTS faces, including Derek Hough, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Sharna Burgess, Kym Johnson, Emma Slater, Damian Whitewood, Karina Smirnoff and Henry Byalikov.
Game Over
Watching this Season 25 Waltz with Bella and Chigvintsev is like watching a bit of Hollywood history — it was the one episode her then-fiancé John Cena came to watch the show and she was falling in love with someone else. Viewers could see their electric chemistry from the first step on the dance floor. Try not to blush watching this play out in the DWTS ballroom.
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