Dancing With the Stars season 32 champions Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy are preparing to perform together again — and Us Weekly has the first look.
During the Tuesday, November 26, season 33 finale of the ABC reality competition series, Gomez, 18, and Chmerkovskiy, 38, will hit the ballroom floor together for the first time since winning the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in December 2023.
In Us’ sneak peek at the duo’s pre-taped package, which will air before their live performance, Gomez shares what she’s been up to since DWTS.
“I graduated high school, I turned 18, I was on the [DWTS] tour, I’ve been designing some clothing,” the actress says. “I bought a car, but I don’t know how to drive. And that’s about it.”
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Gomez consistently wowed the judges throughout season 32, and she’s ready to take the stage again.
“This performance means so much to me just because I want to be able to showcase Val and I’s partnership and the time I had on Dancing With the Stars,” she tells cameras in the clip. “It kind of symbolizes the ending of my season. I’m no longer the reigning champion, and now that’s someone else’s journey. I will always be there for my Dancing with the Stars family — that’s what I’m most grateful for.”
The video shares a glimpse of Gomez and Chmerkovskiy rehearsing their routine.
“Being reunited with Val is so much fun,” Gomez says. “I missed him and his personality, and walking right back into the studio, it felt like coming back home.”
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Chmerkovskiy echoes the sentiment, telling Gomez, “I missed this energy.” He then asks his former partner, “How do you feel about passing the torch to the next champion of Dancing With the Stars?”
Gomez responds by recalling the moment when season 31 winner Charli D’Amelio passed the trophy to her last year.
“I was, like, such a huge fan of [Charli], and so I’m just excited to be that person this year,” Gomez says.
Five couples are in the running to be the next Mirrorball Trophy winners: Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong, Danny Amendola and Witney Carson, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten and Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold. Graziadei, 29, and Johnson, 30, and Kinney, 24, and Aromstrong, 30, have consistently been at the top of the leaderboard all season, although anything could happen during the season finale.
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Johnson exclusively told Us after last week’s semifinals that she wants her and Joey to focus on “joy” during the finale.
“I just want this to be a joyful experience, because it’s over so fast and we’ll never get this moment back in time,” she said. “So, I really want it to be a positive week for us. Although there’s a lot to accomplish, I just want it to be a moment we will never forget.”
Johnson has been married to Chmerkovskiy since 2019. They share son Rome, 22 months. After winning season 32, Chmerkovskiy placed eighth this season with partner Phaedra Parks.
The three-hour Dancing With the Stars season finale airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, November 26, at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch the episode on Disney+ the next day.
