Karina Smirnoff To Return To ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Karnia Smirnoff, the Mirror Ball Trophy winner from Dancing With the Stars, announced that she will be returning to the show. After taking a year off to promote her new book, titled We’re Just Not That Into You: Dating Disasters from the Trenches, Smirnoff admitted to Entertainment Weekly that she was nervous about leaving in the first place, stating that, “not going back to the show felt like trying to see if I can walk on my own two feet! I’ve had obvious moments when I missed it.”

The Ukrainian-born dancer enjoyed a ten year run on the show and was a favorite among fans, along with her season 13 partner and U.S. Army hero, J.R. Martinez. The two won the Mirror Ball Trophy together in Season 13. Former Mirror Ball champions Derek Hough and Mark Ballas will also be returning, as announced by Good Morning America. Perhaps Smirnoff will be awarded again for her performance.

Season 21 will see a variety of familiar faces, such as Val Cherkovskiy and Whitney Carson. This will be vital to the new season, considering original judge Len Goodman left the show last season.

Smirnoff doesn’t know who her new partner will be, stating that even the pros sometimes only find out on the first day of rehearsals. Good Morning America is expected to announce who the stars of the upcoming season will be the first week of September. The show will return Sept. 14.