9 ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Who’ve Quit the Show

Dancing With the Stars is heading into its 32nd season, and over the years, a lot of pros have come and gone. While the series is called Dancing With the Stars, the pros are arguably the true stars of the dancing series. With a show that has been on for 18 years, it makes sense that pros have rotated in and out. Some have lasted a long longer than others, too.

The upcoming season will bring back some familiar faces and introduce a few new pros as well. However, it did see the exits of more than a few pros. Whenever a pro exits, it’s never not heartbreaking. Sometimes, they do come back, even if just for a season or two. Other times, they don’t. Unless you’re a Hough and you come back as a judge and/or host. There have been a lot of pro exits throughout , but take a look at 9 of them below.

Karina Smirnoff

Karina Smirnoff appeared as a pro for Seasons 3-9, 11-19, and 21-22. She won Season 13 with J.R. Martinez. In 2015, after 16 seasons, Smirnoff took to Instagram to announce that she’s “decided to focus my energies on some other exciting endeavors including adding author to my resume. I have absolutely loved dancing for all of you for all these years and feel blessed to have been given a platform to put my passion for dance, choreography and creativity on display. DWTS has been a huge part of my life for the last 10 years and i will always have a special place in my heart for it.”

Kym Johnson

Kym Johnson was on Seasons 3-9, 11-16, 20 and 24. She won three seasons total. In 2018, Johnson announced she would not return to DWTS because she was expecting twins. She told E! News that she has “hung up my dance shoes for good now. I’d love to go back and be a part of the show somehow, whether it is judging or doing something.”

Mark Ballas

Mark Ballas is another tenured pro. He was on Seasons 5-22 and returned again in Season 25. Although he said he didn’t have plans to return, he came back for Season 31 and even won with partner and TikToker, Charli D’Amelio. Ballas has won the Mirrorball a total of three times, including last season.

Ballas announced his official retirement earlier this year during a live DWTS Tour performance. He noted he’s “done 20 seasons now. “I started this journey when I was 21, 22. Honestly, being able to dance and perform for you fans, you guys are the best fans. Thank you. So, I just wanna finish by saying this will be the last time you see me dance in this capacity. I’m coming to a close tonight. This is gonna be my last dance. I’m not saying this is the end, [but] this is the last time I will be dancing with a [celebrity] partner.”

Allison Holker

Allison Holker only appeared in Seasons 19-21 and 23 but still made quite the impact. She was the runner-up for Season 20 with Riker Lynch. Ahead of Season 24 in 2017, the dancer took to Instagram to announce that she would not be returning to DWTS. “I truly adore my DWTS family, it’s all love and I’m so excited for all of the competitors who are participating this season,” Holker shared. “I will be watching alongside all of you and will be voting for my favorites.”

“I will be keeping you posted on some exciting ventures that will be coming up,” she continued. “You all have always shown me so much love and support throughout my career and I want to say that it means the world to me! We are here to be creators, inspirations and the generation that is fearless!! LET’S CREATE MAGIC!!! ‘Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you,’ As Dr. Seuss liked to say.”

Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Maksim Chmerkovskiy began his DWTS journey with Season 2. He was on it through Season 5. After missing Season 6, he came back for Seasons 7-15. He returned for Season 18 before coming back again for Seasons 23-25. He only won Season 18 with Meryl Davis but was in the Top 3 on numerous occasions. 

In 2018, he announced his official exit from . He told Us Magazine that “there’s a reason things have to come to an end. I don’t understand why it has to be sad.” Chmerkovskiy also noted he’s “looking for an opportunity to do another tour more so than anything else because I’m already good business-wise. I just need that art, I guess, outlet. And then it’s sort of, like, where you kind of look around and you’re like, ‘Life is amazing.’” Luckily, the series won’t be short of Chmerkovskiy family representation, with brother Val and wife Peta Murgatroyd continuing as pros.

Lindsay Arnold

Lindsay Arnold first appeared on the show for Season 16. She was then brought back for Seasons 21-28 and again in Season 30. During her time on the show, she won Season 25 with partner Jordan Fisher and was runner-up the previous season. She stepped away for Season 29 since she was near her due date. She then opted out of Season 31 because she had plans to expand her family. Those plans worked, and she welcomed her second daughter in May. 

Last month, Arnold took to TikTok to share the news that she would not be returning, admitting “it’s what’s best for me and my family” since it would have been a huge time commitment. She also explained that her husband works full time in Utah, where they live, so moving herself and her two young daughters out to LA alone would not be ideal. And it’s super understandable. Luckily, the Arnold family is still being represented on . Her little sister, Rylee Arnold, was recently announced as a pro for Season 32.

Sharna Burgess

Sharna Burgess was a pro on Dancing With the Stars for Seasons 16 through 27. She faced controversy after Season 27 when she and partner Bobby Bones beat out fan-favorite Disney star Milo Manheim. Burgess received a “whirlwind of hate,” which led to self-blame after she wasn’t invited back for the following season. She came back for Season 29 and stayed on through Season 30. She again left in order to prioritize her newborn son.

While it seemed like Burgess would be back for the upcoming season, it was revealed that she would not be coming back, and it wasn’t her idea. It’s unknown if she’ll ever be back, but hopefully, she’ll return to the ballroom in the future.

Cheryl Burke

Cheryl Burke is one of the most veteran DWTS pros. Starting out in Season 2, her first run on the series was through Season 29. She came back for Season 23, Season 25, and then Seasons 27-31. She won her first two seasons, with Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith, respectively. Burke also was in the Top Three an additional six times. Ahead of last season’s finale, she announced on her Instagram that she was officially retiring from . 

“This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old,” Burke wrote. “The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them. I also know that it is time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me. I am excited about the idea of evolving, about being challenged in new ways, having the ability to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, focusing on my new found love for podcasting, & I’m ready to face the uncertainty (though it’s scary as sh**) of what the future holds – I do have a few things up my sleeves though, so don’t worry.”

Burke went on to express her love and gratitude to her entire DWTS family, proving that she will always hold her time and the series close to her heart.

Witney Carson

Witney Carson first appeared as a pro during Season 18 and stayed on for 10 seasons. She won Season 19 with current co-host Alfonso Ribeiro and was the runner-up for Season 28 with Kel Mitchell. While she stepped away for Season 29 because she was pregnant, she returned for Seasons 30 and 31. In May, Carson welcomed her second baby. 

Last month, she broke the news to fans on TikTok that she would not be doing Season 32. She stressed that the decision was not taken lightly, but she said that “family is the most important thing to me.” Moving their family across the country was not for them at the moment. Carson did say that she also isn’t quite mentally prepared for what the show calls for, but she hopes that “it’s not a goodbye.”