Photo by Broadimage/REX
Wednesday, August 21, was a big day for Dancing With the Stars cast announcements, some good, and some disappointing.
The brand new celebrity cast for the upcoming 28th season of the popular reality compeition series was announced on Good Morning America boasting a lineup from The Bachelorette‘s Hannah Brown to country star Lauren Alaina, and NFL legend Ray Lewis. Unlike most other cast announcements however, this time the star’s pro dancer counterparts were not announced and fans will have to wait until the season premiere to find out the pairings, but two iconic pros will definitely not be taking part.
After the celebrity cast was announced, Artem Chigvintsev and Sharna Burgess took to their Instagram accounts to share emotional messages confirming they will not be competing in season 28.
“I just want to say how sad it makes me feel not to be part of Season 28 of DWTS. It’s been 10 years since I have joined this absolutely, one of a kind, incredible show! It has given me recognition as a dancer, choreographer and a teacher,” Chigvintsev shared alongside several photos of his time as a pro on the series.
He continued, ” I have had so many beautiful memories with all of my celebrity partners! They all have shaped me into the person that I am today. Special thank you goes to all the people behind the camera who work extremely hard to not only impress our fans but to make our pro dancer’s visions come to life.”
“What I will miss the most is working along side my coworkers, the heroes of the show. I want to wish them and their new celebrity partners the best of luck this season! I want you all to make it better than it ever was before!”
He concluded, “Because our DWTS Fans, who mean SO much to me, want DWTS to continue going strong for many, many years to come. To all the fans, I want to thank you SO much for supporting me all these years! I simply couldn’t have done it without you! Without your love! Without your connection! And most importantly without your support! You all have no idea how much I will miss you all this season! I’m already missing you all so much! Even though this is so hard on me, I will be DWTS #1 fan, cheering you all on every Monday night! Good luck to everyone on Seasons 28!
With lots of Love, Artem  #dwts @dancingabc.”
Arguably more shocking than Artem’s announcement was Sharna’s because she will not be defending her title after finally securing her first Mirror Ball Trophy win with country radio host Bobby Bones in season 27.
“As I’m sure you’ve heard, I will not be returning to @dancingabc this season. I am unbelievably sad to not be back!!! However, what i can whole heartedly tell you is that It’s all good, ALL love and in this moment I can’t help but be grateful for the time and the journey that I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the incredible talent I’ve shared the stage with and the memories I’ve made,” she began her lengthy post alongside a photo of herself moments after her big win with Bobby Bones.
She continued, ” To say the least.. it’s been epic. and to have finally won still feels as exciting and special as it did the moment @tombergeron said our names. After nearly 9 years I feel like I grew up on the show. I am going to truly miss creating, story telling and performing for you all, I’ll miss giving the transformative power of dance to the person in front of me, and I’ll miss seeing my Dwts family every day and watching them work their craft in ways that inspire me.”
The dancer hinted that she is currently working on other things, writing, “Though nothing could ever replace my love for the show, there are things coming into my world that I’m excited to dive into now that I have time. Everything happens for a reason you know me.. I’ll share when I can.”
She concluded her post, “I have endless love and gratitude for all of you and for everyone at the show. For my fellow pros you light up the stage time and time again, you are what makes the show magical and I can’t wait to watch you shine. And to all 12 of my partners… thank you thank you and I adore you. I’ll be watching and cheering this coming season for all of my fam out on that dance floor!!! Good luck everyone, may this be the best season yet! Let’s go season 28!!! #dwts.”
Earlier in the week, rumors surfaced that Chigvintsev had been removed from the ABC series because of his involvement in filming Total Bellas alongside his girlfriend, Nikki Bella, which airs on the E! Network. While they didn’t discuss the news, Bella did take to her Instagram to share a lengthy post about a “new beginning” for herself and Artem as they start filming Total Bellas together, writing in part, ” Sometimes we have a door shut and we don’t understand why, but honestly there is always a reason. I have been through that. And not through that just as a break up but through that professionally and personally. And when those other doors open they open SO big!”
In his own post, Artem shared, “You are my rock, my number one, the good ending to a bad day and the best start to a new day, you are my soul mate.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Monday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.