027: Valentin Chmerkovskiy Will Never Change His Name

Valentin "Val" Chmerkovskiy was born in Odessa, Ukraine, to an engineer mother and marine merchant father. At eight years old, Val's family immigrated to Brooklyn, NY as refugees. In 2011, Val joined as a professional dancer on "Dancing with the Stars" for its 13th season. The 14-time US National Champion and two-time World Dance Champion quickly rose to stardom as a fan-favorite. Val won his first DWTS Mirrorball Trophy with Rumer Willis during the tenth anniversary season. He later took home his second title in 2016 with Olympic Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez. Val recently released a memoir titled "I'll Never Change my Name." He also stared as a judge on the inaugural season of "Dancing with the Stars: Juniors." On This Episode: The show begins with a tutorial on how to pronounce "Chmerkovskiy." Other topics include Val's book, upbringing, parents and his brother Maks. Then there's Val and Jenna Johnson. Val's views on inspiring young dancers, camaraderie, patriotism and redefining masculinity. Lots of love for Ginger Zee. And finally, Randy continues in his shameless quest to be a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars." #TeamJennaRandy Twitter: @randallkjones @siriouslysusan @iamValC Instagram: @RandallKennethJones @SiriouslySusan @valentin Join us in the Jones.Show Lounge on Facebook www.RandallKennethJones.com www.SusanCBennett.com https://www.facebook.com/ValChmerkovskiy/