Is there enough room in the ballroom for Val Chmerkovskiy’s brutal honesty AND AJ Pritchard’s apparently massive ego? Spoiler alert: Val doesn’t think so.
The DWTS icon, 40, absolutely went there on his podcast “Stepping on Toes” with cohost Danielle Fishel, absolutely roasting Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro contestant AJ Pritchard, 31, during their breakdown of episode 2. And honey, Val held NOTHING back. He didn’t mince words about what he perceived as some seriously questionable behavior from the British dancer, specifically calling out Pritchard’s “arrogance” and his apparent lack of humility. Ouch!
Val, who has been a DWTS fixture for years and knows a thing or two about professionalism on the dance floor, seemed genuinely bothered by Pritchard’s attitude during competition. The veteran dancer apparently felt that AJ was getting a little too big for his dance shoes, if you know what we mean. Val’s critique wasn’t just about technique—it was about CHARACTER, darling. And that’s the kind of tea that really stings.
What makes this whole situation extra juicy is that Val clearly respects the dancing craft too much to let this slide quietly. He went PUBLIC with his concerns, which means he really felt AJ needed a reality check. The podcast episode became an instant hot topic among DWTS superfans who immediately took sides in what’s becoming a delicious little feud.
AJ Pritchard, who previously appeared on the UK version of Strictly Come Dancing, clearly came into The Next Pro competition with plenty of confidence—perhaps too much, according to Val. The question now is whether AJ will address Val’s criticism or simply brush it off as jealousy from someone threatened by his talent. Either way, we’re living for this drama.
Danielle Fishel, sitting right there during the podcast, got to witness Val’s unfiltered thoughts firsthand, and we can only imagine the awkward energy when they started discussing AJ’s missteps. The whole thing is giving “mentor doesn’t approve” energy, and frankly, we’re absolutely HERE for it.
The DWTS community is already buzzing about whether this will escalate into a full-blown public spat or if AJ and Val will eventually make peace. Either way, Val just proved that being a dancing legend means you’ve earned the right to call out nonsense when you see it—and he’s not afraid to do it on a podcast with thousands of listeners!
What do you think? A) Val was right to call out AJ’s arrogance B) Val was being too harsh and jealous