He may have danced his way into the hearts of millions on Dancing With the Stars, but only a handful of women will compete for Maksim Chmerkovskiy's affection when he stars in the Ukranian version of The Bachelor.
The 30-year-old dance pro confirmed his involvement in the show in mid-December, years after it was rumored that he was in talks to star in the American series.
"The fact that I've turned down the American version has nothing to do with my 'dislike' of American women," Chmerkovskiy clarified on his blog. "The statement is so absurd that I can't believe I'm even dignifying it with a reply."
Because more Bachelor romances have ended in heartbreak than happily ever afters, Chmerkovskiy had his doubts about finding The One on reality TV.
"There has never been a show such as this in Ukraine and it makes me think that a first season would be the most 'real' as far as participant's perception of 'what its all about' is concerned," he explained.
Chmerkovskiy — who was engaged to fellow DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff before calling it quits in September 2009 — said he sought the advice of his friends and family before finally agreeing to star on the show.
"I've spoken to people around me and decided that this might be something to try and see 'how it'll work.' I'm going into this with a thought of 'Why not?'" he said. "I know it's hard to find someone you can connect to on a project like this, but nothing is impossible. For the sake of the show I can't reveal anything, but I must say I am very pleasantly surprised so far."
Most of all, Chmerkovskiy said he's looking forward to being a part of a show that doesn't require him to be criticized or judged on a weekly basis.
"This is the first thing in a very long time that I'm doing for me. For the first time I don't really care what people think," he wrote. "My profession required me to do things to 'please' others. Be it audience, judges, my coaches, etc. Maybe if I weren't such a stubborn person and didn't have such strong opinion about everything I would 'please' everyone better and would have achieved more in my life. But, I am who I am."
"I am not asking for understanding or support," he continued. "In light of all of this, some of you remembered me saying that I would never do a reality show such as The Bachelor and are calling me out as being a hypocrite. I remember saying that too, but I do believe that I am smart enough to tell who is here after some 15-minute fame and who is here for the right reasons."
"Time will tell if I am wrong in my choices in life, but those are my choices, my mistakes and my achievements. And as long as my family is taken care of, my friends are happy with who I am and I continue to better myself as a person, son, friend and (hopefully one day as a father and a husband), I will remain who I am."
