Maksim Chmerkovskiy: The New "Bachelor?"
NEW YORK (CBS) "Dancing With the Stars" professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy is going to star in the first season of the Ukraine's version of "The Bachelor."
The dancer, who was paired with singer Brandy last season, announced the news on his blog and said he made the decision after considering it for a long time and discussing it with family, friends and colleagues.
"The fact that I've turned down the American version has NOTHING to do with my 'dislike' of American women. (The statement is so absurd that I can't believe I'm even dignifying it with a reply)," he wrote.
Amomg the reasons he listed for the decision was being tired of dancing, wanting to see whether it was possible to find love this way, being able to give back to his native country, which he left as a child.
"This is the first thing in a VERY LONG TIME that I'm doing something for ME. For the first time, I don't really care what people think," he wrote.
The Latin ballroom champ , who is known for his shirtless "DWTS" costumes, was previously engaged to fellow "DWTS" professional Karina Smirnoff.
The Ukraine reality TV show is based on the ABC hit "The Bachelor," now in its 10th season. Texan Brad Womak is now in his second stint on the show, having failed to find love the first time around.
