‘Dancing With the Stars:’ Keo Motsepe Reacts to Not Making the Pro Roster for Season 30

Dancing With the Stars Season 30 is almost ready to sashay its way back to ABC, but when the new season kicks off on Sept. 20, it will be missing some familiar faces. Although the panel of judges and host Tyra Banks are all set to return, pro dancers Peta Murgatroyd and Keo Motsepe will not be vying for the Mirrorball Trophy this year, something that Motsepe admitted is “disappointing.”

Motsepe spoke about his absence from this year’s roster with Us Weekly just hours after ABC unveiled the full lineup of pros competing in the show’s upcoming 30th season. The pro dancer confessed that “it’s disappointing to not be back for Season 30,” though he said he has “been honored to be on the last nine seasons of the show.” Motsepe first competed on the dancing competition during Season 19 in 2014 and has appeared in every season since. While Motsepe admitted his absence is “disappointing,” he isn’t counting out a return to the show in the future. He told Us Weekly that he looks “forward to returning in the future.” For now, Motsepe teased that fans will be “seeing me again soon enough,” as he has “some exciting opportunities in the works.” He also showered plenty of praise on this year’s lineup of pros, stating, “there’s a great group this season and I wish all the dancers and the show the best of luck!”

Both Motsepe and Murgatroyd competed in the ballroom on Season 29 with celebrity partners Anne Heche and Vernon Davis, respectively. Unfortunately, neither got their hands on the Mirrorball Trophy. Motsepe and Heche were eliminated during Week 4 after making it to the Top 13, ultimately placing in 13th place. Murgatroyd and Davis, meanwhile, made it 11th place, being eliminated during Week 6 of the competition. The Mirrorball Trophy eventually went to Kaitlyn Bristowe and her pro dancer partner Artem Chigvintsem, who will be returning to the ballroom in Season 30.

Chigvintsem will be joined by fellow male pro dancers Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Gleb Savchenko, Pasha Pashkov, Sasha Farber, and Valentin Chmerkovskiy. On the roster of female pros is Britt Stewart, Cheryl Burke, Daniella Karagach, Emma Slater, Jenna Johnson, Sharna Burgess, Lindsay Arnold, and Witney Carson. Season 30 will mark both Arnold and Carson’s return to the competition after they took a year off, during which they each gave birth to their first children, son Leo and daughter Sage, respectively.

The full list of stars competing for the Mirrorball Trophy will be announced on Sept. 8 on Good Morning America. Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee have already been confirmed to be on the celebrity roster, with Siwa set to make DWTS history as part of the first same-sex dance couple. Following the full cast reveal, Dancing With the Stars Season 30 will then kick off on Monday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET.