Gleb Savchenko has dismissed Alan Bersten as "not up to the level" required to replace Val Chmerkovskiy during his suspension from Dancing with the Stars.
The 32-year-old dancer will step in to partner Jenna Dewan on this week's show after Val was asked to take a step back over a controversial social media post that referenced the infamous Oscars slap involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, but Gleb - who made his DWTS debut in 2013 but was not part of the cast this year - has questioned why Alan was chosen.
During a TikTok livestream, Gleb said: “Alan, I think he’s Alan. I mean, he’s just not up to the level of dancing. Like, period.
!Like, quality, technique — he’s a good dancer, I guess, for TV. But if we talk about art? Creating art? He’s like, eh.”
The Russian dancer insisted he didn't "want to talk s*** about people" but was "just being honest" and doesn't "have anything against the guy".
He added: “Why Alan? Who else is there? Give like — what’s his name? Who’s on troupe? Remind me.”
Several fans commented "Brandon", in reference to Brandon Armstrong, who was eliminated from the show two weeks ago alongside celebrity partner Ciara Miller.
Gleb replied: “Yes, B would probably... because Jenna is small and Val is a little smaller than Brandon and Alan, so who would I put... Carter [Williams]. Carter? Yes! Carter."
Val received a week-long suspension after he referenced Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap in a post responding to judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of his wife Jenna Johnson's performance on DWTS.
In a now-deleted post, he wrote: "You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night."
Val addressed the controversy after his suspension was announced and admitted he had made a "poor decision".
He wrote on Instagram: "Hi everyone. As you may have seen in the news, I won't be in the ballroom this week.
"In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention.
"Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgement, and I hated that she was.
"The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DTWS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!! [heart emoji] (sic)"
BBC Studios, which produces the TV show, previously described Val's social media post as "inappropriate".
In a statement obtained by People, the broadcaster said: "The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.
"Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show."