Val Chmerkovskiy Reacts To Sasha Farber Not Returning For DWTS Season 34

As Dancing with the Stars approaches its 34^th season amid the 2025 TV schedule, the hype for new episodes is seemingly building. Following much speculation as to who will be competing in the ballroom this season, DWTS revealed the latest celebrity contestants. Additionally, the pros are mostly the same, with Gleb Savchenko even staying on after reportedly getting fired and then re-hired. One pro who is not returning is Sasha Farber and, now, Val Chmerkovskiy is speaking out about it.

Farber joined the dance competition show in 2012 as a member of Season 14's troupe. He became a pro for Season 17 but was bumped back down to troupe for the following four seasons. Farber returned as a pro for Season 22 and had been on the show since. With Eras Tour dancer Jan Ravnik joining the series for the upcoming season, it was likely that one pro would be stepping down. Of course, DWTS has seen pros come and go before, so this isn’t anything new. With that, three-time Mirrorball champ Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly that it’s just the name of the game:

Still, it's rarely ever easy to see a fan-favorite pro go. While Sasha Farber never took home a Mirrorball during his 12-year stint on the show, he had some viral moments. One of Farber's most notable moments happened when he was paired with actress Selma Blair for Season 31. While Blair had to drop out due to issues with her multiple sclerosis, she and Farber had a beautiful final dance. Farber has also had more than a few fun moments with his fellow pros and, to that point, Chmerkovskiy already misses him:

Even though Farber is no longer on DWTS, I'm still hoping this “breakup” won’t be permanent. Much of the former pros have remained in touch with the current ones. Some series alums have even appeared in the audience, which is something that Farber could very well do depending on his schedule. Of course, the dream would be to see Farber return as pro down the road.

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Speaking of returning pros, Farber may be out, but one fan-favorite is back in the mix. Despite departing after winning Season 31 with Charli D’Amelio, Mark Ballas is returning to the ballroom for the new season with partner Whitney Leavitt from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Ballas was previously a guest judge last season and even did the Argentine tango with Derek Hough. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm glad he's back.

The rest of the Dancing with the Stars cast for Season 34 is pretty stacked, so even with Sasha Farber’s absence, there's still plenty of talent in the mix. The new season premieres on Tuesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and episodes are also streamable with a Disney+ subscription.