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A pro dancer quietly joins ‘DWTS’ Season 34 after denying comeback amid cheating scandal rumors

Gleb Savchenko hinted he won't return to 'Dancing With the Stars' but a behind-the-scenes photo from season 34 rehearsals says otherwise

'Dancing With The Stars' Season 34 is just around the corner, and anticipation is building as fans look forward to seeing their favorite pros hit the ballroom floor. Lately, several familiar faces have been spotted at the rehearsal studio — and one sighting in particular has stirred up online chatter. Russian dancer and choreographer Gleb Savchenko was recently seen at Season 34 rehearsals in Los Angeles. Though he attempted to keep a low profile behind a face shield, his distinctive arm tattoo gave him away. The buzz around his appearance has only grown, especially since Savchenko had previously said he wouldn’t be returning for the upcoming season.

On August 22, Kristyn Burtt, well-known by fans as the 'DWTS' insider, took to her TikTok page and shared some scoop on what she described “secret surprise twist.” In the TikTok video shared, Burtt said, "You can be in and then out, you can be out and then in." According to Entertainment Now, Burtt confirmed that Savchenko will be one of the pro dancers on 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 34 by saying, "Yes, that is the official announcement that Gleb Savchenko is on the pro roster for season 34 of ‘Dancing with the Stars.'”

Previously, Burtt revealed the pro roaster for 'DWTS' Season 34; however, she noted that it was still somewhat fluid. At that time, Burtt stated that the pros who will be returning for the upcoming season of the fan-favorite dance series are Jenna Johnson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Ezra Sosa, Alan Bersten, Mark Ballas, Witney Carson, Daniella Karagach, Britt Stewart, Rylee Arnold, and Emma Slater. In addition to this, Burtt also disclosed that a new pro named Jan Ravnik will also be joining the cast of 'DWTS.'

Earlier this month, Savchenko stated that he won't be returning as a pro dancer. During Season 33 of 'DWTS', Savchenko was paired up with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Brooks Nader, and the two struck up a romantic relationship on the show. However, their romance wasn't meant to last forever, and they parted ways. Around the same time, Nader alleged that Savchenko cheated on her and later even mentioned that he got himself fired from 'DWTS' due to his actions.

Since then, the fans have been curious to learn whether Savchenko will be participating in 'DWTS' Season 34. As per E! News, Savchenko debunked all the fan speculations by posting a video on August 10 that showed him lip-syncing to an audio that said, “I don’t know where you got your information from, I don’t know who your source is, but I will be the first one to tell you that is incorrect." Then, Savchenko captioned the clip, “Your ‘source’ needs a refund… because that story? 100% fake. #lies.”

At the time of writing, only four contestants have been confirmed for 'DWTS' Season 34, including Australian conservationist Robert Irwin, TikTok star Alix Earle, and 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' stars Jennifer Affleck and Whitney Leavitt. ABC will reveal the full list of contestants and pro dancers for the new season on September 3. In case you're wondering, 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 34 is set to premiere on September 16.