Gleb Savchenko denies shading DWTS’ Alan Bersten, despite saying he’s ‘not up to the level’
He insists he didn't 'attack' him but that he simply 'can't be compared to Val'
Gleb Savchenko says his criticism of fellow Dancing with the Stars pro Alan Bersten was not a personal attack, after questioning his selection as Val Chmerkovskiy’s replacement. Speaking to Page Six, Gleb described his remarks as a professional opinion rather than anything personal.
The clarification follows Gleb’s TikTok criticism of Alan, during which he questioned his technique and suggested a troupe dancer should have been chosen instead. Alan, meanwhile, scored 37/40 with Jenna Dewan during season 35’s Dedication Night on 20 October — not a bad night’s work for a stand-in.
Their Viennese waltz to The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody was dedicated to Jenna Dewan’s mother. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba awarded the pair a 10, giving the actress her first top mark of the season.
Gleb, who is not competing on the current season, has continued to defend his assessment. In a more recent TikTok livestream, he denied attacking Alan while maintaining that the two dancers had different styles and techniques, and that Alan could not be compared with Val.
He shared: “I didn’t attack Alan at all. Alan’s a good dancer for his niche. He’s great for his thing. But he can’t be compared to Val. I’m not talking trash, I’m just saying how it is. Different styles, different technique, different s**t. I don’t wanna compare anybody, I think everybody’s great for their own thing. And it takes time to get better and better.”
But Gleb struck a more affectionate tone when speaking directly to Page Six. “I’ve known Alan for years, I have a lot of love for him, and I respect what he brings to the show,” he told the outlet. He explained that he had been offering his view on how Jenna Dewan’s partnership would change with Alan taking over from Val.
Val’s own response to Alan stepping in was warmer. According to Us Weekly, he thanked Alan in an Instagram comment before the performance, praising his work and saying Jenna Dewan looked happy.
The partner swap followed Val’s one-week suspension by BBC Studios over a social media post about Carrie Ann. After she criticised his wife Jenna Johnson’s samba with Harry Shum Jr., Val posted a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. He subsequently apologised to the judge.
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