Dancing With The Stars professional Val Chmerkovskiy spoke out as Alan Bersten replaced him during his suspension.
He posted on Instagram before Tuesday’s show after Alan became Jenna Dewan’s temporary partner.
“Thank you for stepping in and doing such an amazing job,” Val wrote. “Jenna looks so good and most importantly happy.”
The message accompanied rehearsal photos Alan shared ahead of the October 20 episode. For Jenna, Dedication Night brought an opportunity to celebrate her mother’s support.
Jenna Dewan honours her mum on Dancing With The Stars
Jenna and Alan earned 37 out of 40 for a Viennese waltz to Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers.
Her mother, Nancy Lee Bursch, joined them for the performance.
In the pre-recorded introduction, Jenna credited her mum with supporting her dreams after her parents split. Jenna was just 18 months old at the time.
She explained that her mother had set aside her own pain to help her daughter pursue those ambitions.
Jenna’s fiancé, Steve Kazee, was moved to tears by the routine. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba also praised the actress’ performance, describing it as a breakthrough.
Carrie Ann told Jenna: “Your heart was open. You felt free. You felt light.”
Alan’s return followed his earlier elimination from the competition. He and celebrity partner Giada De Laurentiis had left on September 22.
Why Val Chmerkovskiy missed Dancing With The Stars
Val missed the episode after a social media post referencing Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap.
The post followed Carrie Ann’s criticism of a routine by his wife, fellow professional Jenna Johnson. She had performed with Harry Shum Jr on the October 13 episode.
Carrie Ann questioned a lift and called for more dance content.
Reacting to the feedback, Val defended his wife on social media. In a post, he wrote: “You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
This was a reference to the infamous incident at the Oscars in 2022, when Will Smith (the Fresh Prince in question), slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada.
Val apologised to Carrie Ann on October 15, saying he had also contacted her privately.
In a further statement, he acknowledged making a poor decision while trying to defend his wife. He said he had not intended the wider implications of the reference.
BBC Studios said the post was inappropriate and confirmed he would miss the following episode.
At the start of Tuesday’s broadcast, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro acknowledged the partner change without mentioning Val’s suspension.
He told viewers that Val was absent that week and that Alan would be dancing alongside Jenna in his place.
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