Artem Chigvintsev had a lot of fans cheering for him when he was part of Dancing with the Stars. Everyone expected him to be around for several seasons to come. However, controversy in his private life resulted in him not getting invited back, and he admits he’s missed the show a lot since then.
Artem won his first DWTS Mirrorball trophy back in Season 29 with Bachelor Nation’s Kaitlyn Bristowe. Following his win, he competed for another three seasons, ending his final season dancing with another Bachelor Nation star, Charity Lawson.
The former Dancing with the Stars pro left the series in 2024
DWTS was a big part of his life. He even met his ex-wife, WWE superstar Nikki Garcia, on the show. Unfortunately, in 2024, the Russian dance pro was arrested on domestic abuse charges. Shortly after that, Nikki filed for divorce.
All this controversy led to him not being invited back to DWTS. He sat down with fellow DWTS co-stars Peta Murgatroyd and Sharna Burgess to talk about how it felt leaving the show.
“You do have this giant void in your life after leaving the show,” Artem admitted. “But it’s the aftermath of other people telling you like, ‘Oh, I miss you on the show’ or ‘I’m like a big fan.’ It’s constant and that never really goes away.”
Sharna was similarly not asked to return after her Season 30 final run. Peta hasn’t competed since Season 32, when she stepped back to focus on family. Artem admitted he struggled saying goodbye to the show.
“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t watch one episode since I exited the show,” he said. “I haven’t seen one.” He also admitted that he wishes the DWTS team would have an honest conversation with him. Things have improved for Artem and Nikki since their divorce, and perhaps he is hoping to make a return one day.
At the end of the day, Artem feels he joined DWTS not just for the paycheck but because he loved what he was doing and wanted to make routines he could be proud of.
The new cast for DWTS Season 35 is expected this summer, with a fall return to ABC.
Dancing with the Stars is available to stream on Disney+.
TELL US – WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE ARTEM RETURN TO DWTS?
