Artem Chigvintsev is likely to the upcoming 29th season of Dancing with the Stars along with 14 other pros.
Good Morning America Teases a 15th Pro
Good Morning America teased another DWTS reveal set for Monday (Aug 24) morning. “Which pro dancer will be revealed on GMA Monday?” the promo teases. “Here’s a clue: He just had a baby with the love of his life, and she knows how to kick some a**.”
GMA confirms it’s a male pro. But the rest of the clues are pretty easy to figure out. Artem and his fiancée Nikki Bella just had a baby. Nikki is a retired professional wrestler who performed with her twin sister Brie Bella. The two currently star on the Total Divas reality show that airs on the E! cable channel.
Producers left Artem out of the pro lineup last fall. Needless to say, the decision left him disappointed, and a little surprised. “It’s kind of a bittersweet feeling right now,” he told E Online. “We all knew that no one was guaranteed to have a spot on the show, and I guess there’s no exception. I’m slowly getting used to the idea that there are other things in life, and other things I’d like to pursue.”
Dancing with the Stars 29 new hosts, same judges, COVID-19 restrictions
He’ll join Sharna Burgess, the 2018 champ (with Bobby Bones) another pro left out of last season’s line up. That adds up to 15 pros in total. It seems like a lot, but ABC and DWTS producers probably figured in a few extra couples as insurance against contestants testing positive for COVID-19 between now and the end of the season.
Pros and their partners will quarantine throughout their run on the series. In a “twist,” three married pro couples will quarantine apart in accordance with the show’s strict safety restrictions.
Veteran judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli will return to the panel. However, longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were replaced with Tyra Banks. The former America’s Top Model and America’s Got Talent host will now helm the dance competition as host and an executive producer.
Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
MONDAY ONLY ON @GMA: Guess who? Literally! We've got another big @DancingABC-sized surprise for you — LIVE!#DancingOnGMA#DWTS pic.twitter.com/yZxMITi0I7
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 21, 2020
