The dance pro also shared why he stood up for Peppermint amid the backlash she received on ‘The Traitors.’
Maksim Chmerkovskiy is making the calls now!
TooFab spoke with the dance pro about stepping off the dancefloor and behind the judges table on the upcoming season of So You Think You Can Dance, where he shared why being on the other side is a such big responsibility.
“It’s a privilege. I’m not gonna lie. And for me and someone like me, it’s a huge responsibility. I’ve spoken about it a lot. I’ve criticized that position infamously. I just need to live up to my own expectations and sort of the standards that I set when I was on the other side,” Maksim shared. “I’m that guy. I remember everything I said to those people. So now, go and do better.”
The soon-to-be father of three added, “You know, that’s how I approach parenting. If you’re complaining about the society or the people or the whatever, go make better humans. So I’m trying to do the same with judging and really embrace the opportunity here. What a privilege man, to be in a position to be a part of such an important dance project.”
An added plus? The Dancing with the Stars alum doesn’t have to train or get all sweaty for the gig.
“For once, for the first time, I’m that guy,” he gushed. “But every second of filming, the audition process, was a pinch me moment. I couldn’t believe it. I honestly… I still can’t.”
Maks will join Allison Holker, who was was formerly a contestant on the series, and was married to the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who was himself a contestant and judge on the series, as well as Dance Moms alum, JoJo Siwa.
While on many dance competition series’ there’s a “nice” judge, a “mean” judge and so forth, Maks said the only kind of judge he’s going to be is “himself.”
“One of a kind?,” Maks quipped when asked what fans come expect from him in season 18. “I’m gonna be a me, and I’m going to be the best me you’ve ever seen in that position.”
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“I want to give audience no reason. I mean, you can love me or hate me. You can love the intonation, the accent, the formulation of sentences. It will be undeniable and unquestionable, what I’m saying. That’s my goal, is to make sure that whatever comes outta my mouth is directed specifically at what the project is,” he continued. “It’s to choose the best dancer. Someone who can just overnight, the next day, go and walk onto any audition, not even audition, walk onto any stage, walk into any filming, be the next pro on Dancing with the Stars, be the next standout, you know, performer on Beyoncé’s show.”
Ultimately, Maksim said he just wants to make a difference in someone’s dance career.
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“I want to be a part of someone’s career that I can look back 10 years from now and say, ‘I was there. I did that.’ That comment, or maybe as part of the process that made that person really stand out, and really show themselves and now look at them,” the television personality explained. “So I’m very happy, I’m very excited. I’m treating it like being a parent, just a lot of responsibility, but also what a blessing to be a part of this.”
Outside of the dance world, Maks made an appearance on Peacock’s murder mystery game, The Traitors. While he didn’t make it far, he stood out amongst the star-studded cast of reality TV stars, and his outspoken opinion did not go unnoticed, especially when it came to his defense of Peppermint, whose altercation with Trishelle Cannatella caused the Drag Race contestant to be banished in episode in episode 2.
“Peppermint’s banishment was nonsense — look, my experience with Traitors was this, I realized that I have incredible senses,” Maks said about his run on the series. “I can see things, I could sort of pick out people, but I also have incredible amount of self-questioning… But when I have this instinct [it’s like] ‘Dan’s a traitor.'”
Maks has his doubts about Phaedra Parks as well, telling TooFab, he believes she too is a Traitor.
“Phaedra, boo boo, we had a conversation off camera, she’s a traitor!” He exclaimed. “But then immediately after, I would be like, ‘Nah. No way. That’s too easy.’ It felt to me that when the Peppermint conversation started, it was just completely out of left field, and people were holding on to stuff just because someone has to get eliminated first. And someone started talking about it, ‘You know what? Ok, fine, let’s all pile on that person.'”
Maks continued, “Peppermint’s elimination also showed me, that for me, if I’m not a Traitor, it loses completely all interest. I’m just a sitting duck. Because I’m not gonna be not speaking, I’m not gonna try and play low and not ruffle any feathers.”
“I know for a fact that Traitors were not trying to eliminate me just yet, we saw that, and Deontay just had an emotional outburst because he was exhausted,” he added, touching on boxer Deontay Wilder’s early exit from the show. “He was really trying to feel it out and started pointing figures, and ended up pointing at the brightest peacock in the room, and here we are.”
All in all, Maks said he had a great time, especially proving the rest of the cast wrong.
“I had a great time that they were all wrong,” he quipped. “When I turned around and said I’m not a traitor, ‘Peace!’ … it was a great exit.'”
So You Think You Can Dance season 18 premieres Mach 4 at 9:00 p.m. on Fox.
