Gleb Savchenko is taking his absence from Dancing With the Starsin stride, insisting his time away isn’t permanent.
Asked how he’d describe the break during a chat with Us Weeklyat The Blue Jacket Fashion Show presented by Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday, September 29, Savchenko said, “I’ll probably say a little break, a little hiatus, a little reset.”
The pro, 43, has competed on the show since 2013, calling it “such a big part” of his life, before adding with a laugh, “I’m not retired from Dancing With the Stars. I’m coming back as a celebrity to win it.”
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Savchenko said the timing of the break has given him a new appreciation for the show from the outside.
“I don’t even remember how many seasons I’ve done nonstop and the tours,” he said, wearing Bloomingdale’s fashion for the annual runway show benefiting Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
“So this year is actually a good thing to take a break. You know, watch the show. And it’s such a cool experience when you watch it from the side, and when you’re not there, you see how amazing it is and how cheesy it is and how fun it is.”
He laughed recalling his own reaction watching from home, “‘You guys look ridiculous! Oh my god, I actually did that for like what, 12 years?!’ But it’s fun, you know. It’s fun. It’s good vibes. I just love it.”
Looking ahead at Season 35, Savchenko predicted Tyler Cameron and pro partner Sharna Burgess could emerge as the season’s “underdog.”
“I think he’s a great dancer. I think he’s this big body and being so tall and large, the way he moves and the amount of potential he has, I think he’s gonna kill it.”
He’s also rooting for Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, as well as Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Dewan.
On the subject of Shum Jr. and Dewan facing criticism this season over their prior dance backgrounds, Savchenko pushed back on the idea that it gives them an unfair edge.
“I agree with people that when they say ballroom is completely different because it’s a partner dance, and in order to learn the routine, to deliver the routine, to perform the routine with a partner, you have to create a connection, and to create a connection, if we go into technical terms, it’s a push and pull,” he explained.
“To find that connection and balance is extremely hard. It’s really really hard.”
He added, “So for people like Jenna and Val, I mean, look, yes, she’s a professional dancer. She might learn steps and choreography, but will she be able to do a foxtrot? Stretched neck, beautiful lines. That’s a challenge, right?”
Savchenko also weighed in on the judges’ scoring this season, suggesting Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli have been too generous.
“I wish there could be some twos,” he said.
“Throw a two. Throw a fing one. Like, come on. I don’t think they’re hard enough.”
While some fans have criticised Inaba’s critiques, Savchenko said he doesn’t view any of the judges as harsh, and floated his own interest in joining them someday, “I mean, [casting director] Deena Katz, you gotta put me as a guest judge already. Come on, between Bruno and Derek, I’ll be a great judge. I’ll be a really good judge because I know what I’m talking about. There’s no bulls.”
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2026-10-02 05:02:00
