Maks Chmerkovskiy to quit Dancing
Sept. 21, 2012, 12:33 PM EST
Maksim Chmerkovzkiy has announced he's hanging up his Dancing With The Stars shoes. The dancefloor stud, who is one of the biggest stars on the hit show, has revealed he'll be walking away from the TV contest when his current contract expires. Chmerkovskiy made his intentions clear in a New York Post article, in which he states, "What else do I have to do there after 15 seasons? "The audience can't expect for me to want to stick around, and the producers can't expect for me to want to stick around." He also expressed his frustration at living in the shadows of celebrity partners like Kirstie Alley, Denise Richards, Mel B and Brandy, adding, "Essentially, 80 per cent of our job is to give somebody another push in their career, or we make them into likeable characters. But at the end of the day, they go off and they better themselves. "I loved doing it, but to be honest with you, at 32, I am at what-about-me time." Tweeting a link to the Post article on Friday (21Sep12), Chmerkovskiy added, "With nothing but love, gratitude and respect to all that played a part in that amazing aspect of my life..." Chmerkovskiy, who has signed on to appear in a romantic comedy that starts shooting early next year (13), has three more years of Dancing on his contract, including the all-star edition that begins next week (24Sep12). Chmerkovskiy's big news came as a shock to friend and business partner Tony Dovolani, who is also a Dancing With the Stars regular. Appearing on Access Hollywood Live on Friday morning (21Sep12), he said, "That's news to me. I'm gonna talk to him after this."
