‘Dancing with the Stars’ 18: Maksim Chmerkovskiy to reportedly return

If there is one thing that almost every season of “Dancing with the Stars” needs, it’s a little bit of Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Is the guy occasionally way too in love with himself, and get way too defensive about the scores on a ballroom dancing competition? Sure, but part of that in a way actually makes him so much more entertaining. In an age where so many of the pros are completely predictable, it is nice to have someone who you really can’t see coming a mile away.

Well, the news is now coming out via Us Weekly that you will see Maks return for the show’s 18th season later in March. This is the first time in the past few that he will assume that role, as he has been absent since working again with Kirstie Alley on “All-Stars” (though he did guest-judge at some point last season).

As for who could be his partner, we imagine that it is likely to be someone who can handle his huge personality and variety of opinions. How about NeNe Leakes? She’s rumored to be on the show, and while we know she has a big heart, she’s also someone who is absolutely never short of something to say. The two could have an interesting partnership, and would definitely create all sorts of fun banter for all of us watching at home. Then again, it would also be nice to see Maks on the show with someone who actually stands a chance at winning the season in the end, given that he has been on more than a dozen seasons without a Mirrorball Trophy in is possession. Meanwhile, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas each have many, while Maks’ brother Val is also still waiting for his first opportunity.

The new cast will be officially unveiled on Tuesday’s edition of “Good Morning America,” so stay tuned for some more on that.

What do you think about Maksim returning to “Dancing with the Stars”? Share your thoughts below, and also visit the link here if you want to grab some more updates from us via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: ABC