'Dancing With the Stars' Maks Chmerkovskiy on turning 'So You Think You Can Dance' judge

Don't adjust that dial. Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the star pro for 17 seasons on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," is moving networks – and to the judge's chair – on Fox's rival competition series, "So You Think You Can Dance."

Chmerkovskiy, a one-time mirrorball trophy winner, will mentor and judge "SYTYCD" dancers with former contestant Allison Holker and returning judge JoJo Siwa. (Siwa replaced series creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe, who stepped down in January amid sexual assault allegations and lawsuits).

For the brash ballroom bad boy Chmerkovskiy, who famously tangled with "DWTS" judges during his tenure, "SYTYCD" (returning Monday, 9 EST/PST) is a chance to show another side of himself.

"I feel like there was one Maks that was always being portrayed, badly or not," Chmerkovskiy tells USA TODAY. "This was all me; I take responsibility for all the portrayal. But people will see a Maks that no one ever really got to see before."

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Chmerkovskiy, who's expecting a third child with wife and "DWTS" pro Peta Murgatroyd, says he's matured and mellowed. He admits he was hit hard turning 44 in January, and is grateful for the new career chapter.

"This is the job that I was born to do, today," Chmerkovskiy says. "Turning 44 is a big thing. It's not 43, that was cute. I used to look at 44-year-old people like, 'Damn, that's an old person.' But now I'm here."

The Ukrainian-born Latin ballroom champion wants to nurture his new mentoring and judging duties. After four weeks of auditions, the aspiring pros will show their stuff in weekly real-world dancer challenges (shooting music videos, recreating halftime shows) and endure eliminations in the quest for the $100,000 grand prize.

He likes the idea of taking the once tough, truth-talking role of "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent" judge Simon Cowell to "SYTYCD." Chmerkovskiy's critiques when he sees underperformers will be "no-nonsense."

"But this Simon Cowell-ness will only come if it's validated by a complete lack of preparation, or when I see negligence towards the opportunity here," he says. "Don't be in front of me unless you've given everything, because I'm a gatekeeper. I'm just representing one opinion, but I will represent it fully."

Judge Maks has come to respect 'DWTS' judge Len Goodman

Stepping into the judge's role has prompted Chmerkovskiy to re-evaluate the one person the hot-headed dancer sparred with the most on "DWTS" – lead judge Len Goodman, the former British ballroom champion who took the head judge's seat when "DWTS" premiered in 2005 and died at 78 last year.

"Len Goodman is a big influence; I've never said it before," Chmerkovskiy says. "As an adjudicator on a televised show, the way he presented himself consistently, I'm definitely looking at him and learning. I want to establish myself as someone who has that kind of longevity and expertise."

The Chmerkovskiy-Goodman faceoffs were the stuff of "DWTS" legend. In 2010, Chmerkovskiy tossed his shirt at Goodman, who had objected to the dancer's habit of losing his top during dances. Chmerkovskiy famously told Goodman in 2011 that "maybe it's time to get out" of judging after Goodman criticized his rumba, Chmerkovskiy holds his ground, saying Goodman "may not have been the biggest influence as an adjudicator of dance."

No matter how bad the tension was on the show, Chmerkovskiy says it never affected their relationship. "There was never enough of a fight that we had to talk about it," Chmerkovskiy says. "We played golf a bunch of times and were perfectly fine together. I miss him."

He danced in the October "DWTS" ballroom tribute to Goodman choreographed by his pro-dancer brother Val Chmerkovskiy along with Val's pro-dancer wife, Jenna Johnson. Chmerkovskiy says "DWTS" is not the same without Goodman.

"Len is missing," he says. "You can feel it."

Will Maks ever return to 'DWTS'?

Although he left the show after Season 25 in 2017, Maks Chmerkovskiy says he's been "answering fan questions about when I'm going to come back to 'Dancing with the Stars' for years. It seems like it takes a long time to get fully removed."

Even if he's behind in the family Mirrorball Trophy count (Val has three, sister-in-law Jenna and Murgatroyd have two), Chmerkovskiy has no plans to return. "I'm a fossil with one (trophy). And I'm going to leave it for the next generation," Chmerkovskiy says. "I'm fully committed to my present and future with no competitive ballroom dancing in it."

But Chmerkovskiy can flaunt the washboard abs from his workouts if he's given the chance to rip off his shirt for an impromptu "SYTYCD" dance routine.

"If there's opportunity to shake the tail feathers, this tail can still move," Chmerkovskiy says. "And as long as my abs are a side effect of my workouts, I'm good. My legs are still operational. I'm ready to go. I'll dance until one of my joints says no."