Maksim Chmerkovskiy has officially hung up his dancing shoes. During an appearance on The View on Tuesday, July 29, the Ukrainian native announced he will no longer perform on Dancing With the Stars.
"I'm done dancing," he said on the daytime talk show. "I feel like it's time."
"When I came back to the show, it was not the same—I was different, probably," he explained of his previous departure in February 2013. "When I came back, I saw this amazing talent…I looked at it and thought they can do much more and better. I was taking up a huge spot." (Word on whether he will return as a judge is still unknown.)
Chmerkovskiy, 34, originally left DWTS after season 16. This year, however, he returned for season 18, and won the Mirrorball trophy for the first time with Olympic ice skater Meryl Davis.
After his win, the pro dancer hinted that he was ready to exit the ABC dancing competition during an interview with Social Life magazine. "I want Meryl to be the last person I dance with," he said in June. "The last person I got to be passionate with and care so much for."
The dancer has plans to start a family, too. "I raised so many children at the studio that I am ready to create one of my own," he told the mag. "I am really ready to have a family now. I need an outlet. I have so much I want to give, and I need someone to give it to."
Chmerkovskiy first appeared on DWTS in its second season. His celebrity partners over the years have included actress Tia Carrere, singer Willa Ford, boxer Laila Ali, Spice Girls' Mel B., Misty May-Treanor, Denise Richards, Debi Mazar, Erin Andrews, Brandy, Kirstie Alley, Hope Solo and Melissa Gilbert.
