“He’s a Taylor Swift dancer, it’s the obvious reason why he was hired, apart from he is a lovely guy,” Peta Murgatroyd added after her husband’s heated attack on Jan’s ability.
Maks — who is a former DWTS pro — passionately shared his opinion on new pro Jan while talking to his wife Peta Murgatroyd (and fellow former pro) on her podcast, The Penthouse With Peta podcast.
The pair discussed each dance from Wicked night and when they got to Jan’s dance with celebrity partner Jen Affleck, they did not hold back, with Maks adding that he could “feel the heat” coming up through his face when thinking of the dance.
“We do not need to give him grace,” Maks said on the Oct. 24 episode, when Peta prefaced that it is Jan’s first season. on the show.
“I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing with the Stars,” Maks said.
“There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”
Jan and Jen performed the foxtrot to Wicked‘s “As Long As You’re Mine,” where they were given straight 8s from the judges — their highest scores of the series.
However, Maks didn’t think those scores were deserved.
“He had no idea what foxtrot is supposed to look like,” Maks continued.
“How are you going to expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing? We had this criticism weeks ago, and I’m like, ‘Bro is anybody going to explain it to him?'”
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Maks attempted to find some sort of positive comment about Jan — who just finished dancing for Taylor Swift around the world for The Eras Tour — by referring to “one dance that delivered some sort of direction.” However, Maks quickly followed up by saying he later went “off the cliff.”
“Jan, whoever he is, I have zero against him whatsoever,” the 45-year-old said. “No way, this was a missed opportunity.”
Peta agreed with Maks’ thoughts on Jan and his pairing with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star.
“Jen has a major disadvantage,” Peta began. “I feel bad because she is not getting taught the basics that she needs to. She’s not getting taught the base of the dance.”
Maks emphasized that it was a “major disadvantage” and that it wasn’t Jan’s fault.
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“They did it,” Peta added. “They hired him! He’s a Taylor Swift dancer it’s the obvious reason why he was hired, apart from he is a lovely guy. He looks great, he obviously is a great dancer.”
“I know hiring a non ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous,” Peta continued.
However, Maks noted there have been previous dancers who were hired for the reality competition series, but hinted they started in a different position and not as a pro.
“Babe, we’ve done that before. There were people that came on before that didn’t have the expertise but they immediately integrated different. I don’t want to name names but you know who they are.”
Peta suggested Jan should have been brought in and been “part of troupe” before taking on the role as a pro.
“He should have learned, gone to ballroom classes.” Peta last competed on DWTS as a pro in Season 32, while Maks’ last time was Season 25.
