Why is lindsay arnold not on dancing with the stars?

Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold announces departure from the series: 'One of the hardest decisions'

The professional dancer is sashaying away after more than 10 years on the show.

Lindsay Arnold is saying bye-bye to the ballroom—at least, for now.

Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold announced that she will not be returning for season 31 of the show when it hits Disney+ later this month.

Arnold, who has performed on the show for more than 10 years, announced that she will not be returning for season 31 of the competitive ballroom dancing show when it hits Disney+ later this month.

"This has been one of the hardest decisions to make but ultimately I have chosen what I feel is best for myself and my family," Arnold shared in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday. "This show has changed my life forever and will always mean the world to me."

The dancer, who is mom to two-year-old daughter Sage, explained that she is sashaying away from the show to put her family first. "As many of you know my family and I live in [Utah] and in order to do DWTS I have to move myself and my daughter Sage out to L.A. and leave behind my husband Sam who works full time here in Utah," Arnold wrote. "Logistically there is SO much involved with making this happen and there is a lot of sacrifice that has to be made that unfortunately just did not feel right for us this time around."

DANCING WITH THE STARS - ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" stars Lindsay Arnold.

'Dancing With the Star's pro Lindsay Arnold is leaving the series

| Credit: Maarten de Boer/ABC via Getty

"We exhausted every option we could think of to make it work but at the end of the day none of the options felt good in my heart or felt like the right thing for our lives right now," she continued. "We are also trying to grow our family and that in itself is a complicated logistical thing as I'm sure many of you understand."

However, the performer remained steadfast in her support for the show. "It's so important to me that you understand none of this has anything to do with my love for the show as that will NEVER change and it also doesn't mean that this is the end for me and DWTS," Arnold shared. "Although this decision has been so hard to make I feel so much peace about it and know that it is the right thing to do."

Arnold noted that she's ready to cheer on her pals from the sidelines too, adding, "I can't wait to watch this next season of DWTS and see all of my friends dance, I'm going to be the biggest fan girl!"

Following her announcement, Arnold's DWTS cast mates — including the show's new co-host Alfonso Ribeiro — shared their support in her decision. "We will miss you," Ribeiro, who won season 19 of the show, wrote in the comments. "Always hard to make the right decision for your entire family and not what's best for you alone."

While fellow pro Witney Carson added, "Miss you so much already Linds!!! It won't be the same without you, I love you!"

And, just because she's putting away her dancing shoes for now, that doesn't mean Arnold is ruling out a return to the ballroom in the future. "This is also not the end," she said in a TikTok. "This is not to say this is the end of me on Dancing With the Stars. I think there are so many fun ways that I can still be involved." 

Dancing With the Stars premieres on Sept. 19 and will stream on Disney+.

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Lindsay Arnold is hanging up her Dancing with the Starsshoes.

The DWTS pro announced on Wednesday that she is stepping away from the celebrity dance competition series after more than 10 years.

"I wanted to let you all know that I have decided not to be a part of Dancing With the Stars this season," she wrote alongside a photo of her and her husband Samuel Lightner Cusick and their daughter Sage Jill, whom they welcomed in November 2020.

Arnold continued, "This has been one of the hardest decisions to make but ultimately I have chosen what I feel is best for myself and my family. DWTS has been a part of my life for over 10 years now and when I say I love the show with all of my heart I mean it!!"

After saluting DWTS for its life-changing impact on her career, Arnold expressed the importance of family and said she will always put her daughter and husband first.

She shared that her family of three currently lives Utah, however, when she's working on DWTS she must reside in Los Angeles.

"Logistically there is SO much involved with making this happen and there is a lot of sacrifice that has to be made that unfortunately just did not feel right for us this time around," Arnold wrote.

She and Cusick tried to think of other alternatives, she said; however, "none of the options felt good in my heart or felt like the right thing for our lives right now."

"We are also trying to grow our family and that in itself is a complicated logistical thing as I'm sure many of you understand," she added, speaking to her and Cusick's desire to conceive a second child, a journey they have openly shared with fans.

Continued Arnold: "All this being said it's so important to me that you understand none of this has anything to do with my love for the show as that will NEVER change and it also doesn't mean that this is the end for me and DWTS. Although this decision has been so hard to make I feel so much peace about it and know that it is the right thing to do."

Despite her departure, she still plans to "fan girl" over the forthcoming 31st season and cheer on her dancing pro friends.

As for her personal life, she promised fans she'll "still be here sharing" details on being a mom, her attempt to conceive and her workout brand.

RELATED VIDEO: Everything to Know About Dancing with the Stars Season 31

"Thank you all for your continued love and support for me and my family it means so much!" she concluded.

In the comments section, she was flooded with support from her DWTS family, including Sharna Burgess, who also announced Wednesday she won't be on the 31st season as she's not ready to leave her and Brian Austin Green's 2-month-old son Zane Walker.

"I love you Linds!!!!" Burgess wrote.

"Love you Linds and miss YOU already 💗," wrote Cheryl Burke as Witney Carson added, "Miss you so much already Linds!!! It won't be the same without you, I love you!"

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Nikki Bella, who competed in season 25 of DWTS, understood Arnold's decision. She wrote, "You will be SO missed! But amen to you!!! Such a good mama!!! Sending so much love to you and the fam! And we still need to get Teo and Sage together!!"

Sean Spicer, who was Arnold's dance partner when he starred on the show in 2019, also respected her decision, writing, "It was an honor to be your partner. I saw every day how caring, patient and kind you are. The show was better for you and now Sam and Sage get you full time. 👏."

Dancing with the Stars premieres on Disney+ Sept. 19.

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