It’s finally Dancing with the Stars premiere week on the 2026 TV schedule, and the competition is as stiff as ever for Season 35. The couples are in the thick of rehearsals ahead of the two-night premiere and, even with the amount of TikToks many of them have been posting, they’re all hard at work. While stars typically lose weight on DWTS with all that training, that's not always the case. I'm surprised to learn that one current contestant has actually gained weight.

Training for a show like DWTS is not easy, given all of the hours of rehearsals and the injuries that might come with it. Summer House alum Ciara Miller, who is partnered with Brandon Armstrong, revealed to Lance Bass and E! News that rehearsals have been crazy and not at all that pleasant. Even though Bass, who competed during Season 7, shared he “lost 20 pounds” while on the show, the same cannot be said for Miller, at least for now:

Miller did say that she had been bulking up since rehearsals began, but it’s still surprising to hear that she’s been gaining instead of losing weight. However, the season hasn’t even fully started yet, so it’s quite possible that she’ll shed some pounds the longer she and her partner stay in. If anything, it sounds like Armstrong has not been going easy on her, and I cannot wait to see how all that work translates to their performance in the premiere.

Over the years, like Miller, plenty of contestants have spoken about their weight in relation to the training and competition. For instance, like Bass, Alyson Hannigan lost 20 pounds while competing on the show during Season 32. It was both emotional and physical baggage, but it was still pretty impressive. Plenty of other celebrities have lost a lot of weight on the show and, when I think about it, competing on the show, seems like a good way for someone to stay trim.

It’s no secret that rehearsing for Dancing with the Stars can be intense. Across the seasons, many competitors have gotten hurt at one point, with some of those injuries being minor and others being more serious. Last season, Andy Richter didn’t hold back on the training, admitting he had to ice his knees every hour. He also stated that it wasn’t “just exercise, it was borderline abuse.” He was still a fan-favorite with Emma Slater, and the pair made it far. So I applaud him for sticking to it because it does not sound easy.

With the DWTS season finally around the corner, I'm excited to see what Ciara Miller does. I'm also curious as to whether she'll eventually provide a training update and say that she's lost weight. The two-night Season 35 premiere of Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams with a Disney+ subscription.

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is heating up on the 2026 TV schedule, and the two-night premiere hasn’t even happened yet. Following the cast announcement, the celebrity contestants and pros have been hard at work in rehearsals and on social media getting fans hyped. One way the cast has been getting fans hyped is by revealing team names. Sharna Burgess and Bachelorette star Tyler Cameron’s name is wild, and I can’t believe a shirt was even made to promote it!

Burgess’ return to DWTS is already entertaining, and the team name really is just icing on the cake. She took to TikTok over the weekend to give fans an update on how rehearsals are going, while Cameron was behind her trying to get the attention on himself. It wasn’t very hard, as he was wearing a custom-made shirt with their faces on it, with Team SharT written on it, and omg.

Hilariously enough, Burgess doesn’t seem to have any input with the team name, saying multiple times in the video to ignore whatever Cameron was doing or wearing. She even put in the caption to “ignore the attire.” Team SharT does include both their names in a roundabout way, but the implication is also pretty gross. So, I can see why Burgess may want nothing to do with the name. Regardless, I can’t stop laughing.

She might be stuck with the catchy name too. It’s premiere week, and it might be a little too late to get a new team name. Plus, now Team SharT is on a shirt, it's pretty much official, no matter how much Burgess tries to deny it.

Dancing with the Stars fans know the team name can be pretty important, and many fans use the name to vote, as well as differentiate between the celebrity + pro couples. I can't imagine the conversation they had landing on SharT, but at least it's pretty memorable.

Meanwhile, the competition is stiff for Season 35. There are already some frontrunners we've been talking about at CinemaBlend, though usually each season has a a few surprises. As for how far Team SharT could go, we'll have to wait and see. Plenty of Bachelor Nation stars have competed on DWTS, with a handful of them either winning or making it to the finals. While it’s been five seasons since Burgess was on DWTS, this could be just the comeback she needs.

Fans will get a taste of what Team SharT --I still can't believe I'm typing that -- has to offer in the two-night Season 35 premiere of Dancing With the Stars, and it will be exciting to see what they bring to the ballroom. DWTS returns this Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and with a Disney+ subscription. New episodes will then air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

As I think about the cast that’s about to compete in the 2026 TV schedule’s season of Dancing with the Stars, there are some very – and I mean very – obvious frontrunners. However, there are always surprise stars among the cast. So, with that in mind, let's discuss three contestants in Season 35 that I think we need to keep an eye on.

Again, it feels like a given that Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr. could win DWTS. They both have extensive dance experience and passionate fans. While their experience has been met with backlash, there’s also a ton of excitement surrounding them and their potential. Although there are plenty of other stars in this ensemble who could tear up in the ballroom too.

Jackson Olson

So, Jackson Olson’s casting on DWTS was announced early, which got me hyped. Immediately, I saw the potential in this Savannah Banana. Not only is he an athlete, but he’s an athlete who dances during his baseball games. Plus, his ability to commit to the bit is sure to help him in this competition.

To top it off, he’s paired with Emma Slater, an absolute social media beast, a very fun personality, and the woman who helped get Andy Richter quite far in the competition last year. I’m sure she’ll bring out the best in Olson, and between the two of them, I really think they’ll be a couple to watch.

Amber Glenn

As I said, athletes tend to do well on DWTS, and Olympic figure skaters specifically have a history of being successful. Case in point: Adam Rippon, Meryl Davis and Kristi Yamaguchi have all won the Mirrorball Trophy. That puts Amber Glenn, who became a gold medalist at the 2026 Olympics, in a great place.

She’s also partnered with Pasha Pashkov, who hasn’t won the show before. I’ve always wanted to see him take home the trophy, and I feel like he has the chance to really thrive with Glenn.

Connor Wood

Do you want to know what I’ve learned from watching the more recent seasons of Dancing with the Stars? Never underestimate the internet personalities. I mean, last year, Alix Earle was a frontrunner all season and ended up being the runner-up. I think Connor Wood, aka Fibula on social media, has the chance to do well too.

First of all, he’s paired with Rylee Arnold, a TikTok star who has had success on the show. Secondly, Wood, who is a comedian and hosts Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, has gone viral online numerous times and has made it clear that he’s going to “lean in” to this experience. So, when you mix his and Arnold’s online presences, his humor and his commitment to the process, I think he could easily become a fan favorite.

Overall, there are always surprise contenders on DWTS, so we really shouldn’t count anyone out. However, these three are the ones I think we really need to watch out for (alongside the obvious frontrunners) when the dance competition returns on ABC and for those with a Disney+ subscription on Steptember 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

There have been a few Mormon Wives on Dancing with the Stars; however, I didn’t realize the street could go both ways. The key word there is could, though, because at this point, it hasn’t happened. However, it was an option at one point, because a pro dancer from the reality competition admitted she was once approached to do Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

As we approach the premiere of DWTS Season 35 on the 2026 TV schedule, pro Witney Carson spoke about how she was also approached to be part of a different reality show. This comes one season after SLOMW’s Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck competed on the dance competition. So, it was kind of wild to hear Carson speak about her connection to their show, as she told People:

Carson and her family are Mormon, and both she and her husband are from Utah. So, she fits the general bill for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. In fact, quite a few Dancing with the Stars pros are from Utah and come from Mormon backgrounds, including Lindsay and Rylee Arnold, Jenna Johnson, and Julianne and Derek Hough.

So, there are many folks who are part of DWTS who have a similar upbringing to the women who lead the reality series that you can watch with a Hulu subscription.

In fact, Carson grew up knowing Whitney Leavitt. Explaining that they used to compete against each other at dance competitions, the longtime pro said:

Well, last season of DWTS really was a crossover event that, I guess, could have happened earlier if Carson had said yes to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Now, I am curious to know if she was asked again for SLOMW’s spinoff series, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County. Carson does spend a lot of time in Southern California because of Dancing with the Stars, so it’s not like it’d be a stretch. However, it sounds like she’s going to stick to the ballroom.

Speaking of the ballroom, Witney Carson is set to return to it for Season 35, and she’ll be competing with Jimmy Kimmel’s beloved sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez. This is all happening on the heels of the pro winning Season 34 with Robert Irwin. And notably, that season was the one that featured Leavitt and Affleck from Mormon Wives; meanwhile, the upcoming season will see Leavitt’s husband, Conner, competing for the mirrorball trophy.

So, Carson did get to work with some of the Mormon Wives, and will get to work with another Leavitt. Now I’d love to see her make a cameo on the reality show. However, for now, I’m just excited to see her back in the ballroom, and I’ll be tuned in to the DWTS Season 35 premiere on Steptember 15 (you can watch it on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription). Meanwhile, you can stream the newest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu.

Actor Zac Efron grew up before our eyes, becoming a household name thanks to starring in the High School Musical movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). But in recent years his younger brother Dylan Efron has also become a celebrity, largely thanks to winning The Traitors Season 3 and showing off his fitness on Dancing with the Stars. Zac's own fitness is the stuff of legend, and recently his trainer posted a photo showing off his huge bicep. Naturally, Dylan took to social media to drop his own very buff photo dump.

Dylan Efron's star power has been steadily growing in recent years. After The Traitors (streaming with a Peacock subscription), he also competed on Dancing with The Stars. Not one to be left of out of thirsty discourse, Efron posted on Instagram, including some shirtless pictures on a boat. Check it out for yourself below:

Holy abs. I guess there's a reason why Dylan Efron was nominated for Sexiest Man Alive, because he's looking absolutely ripped. And who doesn't love a little healthy competition between two famous brothers? We'll just have to wait and see if Zac posts his own set of ab-oriented photos in response.

Dylan posted the above photo dump for his whopping 1.7 million Instagram followers, with the caption reading simply "taking it easy." It certainly looks like the end of his summer has been a fun one, including boat trips, rounds of golf, and cuddles with his puppy. Still, his abs are the real star of the show, and the comments section is filled with folks thirsting over the Traitors winner. Some of the responses include:

• "The audacity for this to show up on my feed rn."
• "I’d like to personally thank whoever took the first photo."
• "Honest to God you guys I’m married. But yeah. Yes."
• "How do I get to be one of the women on the boat." 😂
• "First pic is what you see when heaven’s gates open."

Well, it's clear this photo dump was effective, but I guess that's an Efron family value; Zac is known for posting viral shirtless content as well. And they're both bonafide Hollywood sex symbols at this point.

Both of these brothers clearly put a ton of work into their physique, and it shows. And while Zac Efron admits he pushed his body too hard for Baywatch, he's remained yoked in the years that have passed. I'm curious if these two ripped brothers are competitive at all about their fitness. What's everyone PR? What do they bench? I need more information!

Dylan Efron will return to reality TV shortly as part of the cast of Squid Game: The Vip Challenge, competing alongside the likes of Spice Girls' Mel B and Real Housewives Of Atlanta's Kim Zolciak-Biermann.

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is coming soon to the 2026 TV schedule, and the cast is making waves. Beloved actress Julia Stiles will be competing in the ballroom with pro partner Ezra Sosa, and the two are already becoming favorites with fans. It’s not all positive popularity, though, as Juilliard shaded the actress for one little thing, and now she’s setting the record straight.

When it comes to DWTS, fans are divided in terms of whether celebrities with dance experience should be allowed to compete. Following the cast announcement last week, some people were pointing out that Stiles went to the prestigious Juilliard School for dance. However, what a lot of people haven’t been getting is that it was merely a reference to her classic 2001 film Save the Last Dance. In fact, Juilliard even confirmed that Stiles did not actually attend the performing arts conservatory on Instagram.

Stiles herself is setting the record straight now. She and Sosa spoke to E! News about people thinking that she actually went to Juilliard. They mentioned that Juilliard commented, with Sosa admitting it was a bit shady. Stiles confirmed that she did not attend the prestigeous university. And what makes the whole situation even better is that the school wasn’t even really on her mind back then:

I’m sure it’s both amusing and annoying for Stiles to have people so divided on this topic when it all stems from a movie she did 25 years ago. Of course, her dance moves have been a topic before, and it’s not just people truly thinking she went to Juilliard. The Internet has been shading Stiles’ dance moves from Save the Last Dance, but luckily her co-star Kerry Washington came to her defense last year. The Scandal star also praised the film’s choreographer Fatima Robinson, who has worked with high-profile artists such as Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, and the Backstreet Boys.

Even though Stiles doesn’t have actual Juilliard training, it wouldn’t be surprising if she managed to make it far in the competition. She and Sosa are already capturing fans’ hearts with their TikToks, and I cannot wait to see what they have cooking up this season. I also wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of their dances were to take from Stiles’ Save the Last Dance character, Sara Johnson.

Fans will just have to see how the two do when DWTS returns. The Season 35 premiere of Dancing With the Stars airs on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and with a Disney+ subscription. The competition is as stiff as ever this season, and there is no telling who will be taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

It’s September, which means it’s finally Dancing with the Stars season on the 2026 TV schedule. Season 35’s cast is completely stacked with Olympians, Paralympians, reality stars, actors, musicians and influencers. So there are plenty of people angling to take home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy this fall, but one celebrity unsure of her skills is Maura Higgins. And it doesn’t help that her partner Mark Ballas gave her a brutally honest review.

Higgins was one of the first celebrities announced for Season 35. Not long after the announcement, she revealed that she wanted her Traitors buddy, Ballas, to be her partner, but she would have been fine with just about anyone, with one exception. Luckily, the Love Island UK star’s wish came true, and the partnership has come with some tough love. While speaking with People (as seen on TikTok), the duo talked about how things have been going. Ballas revealed that Higgins wondered how horrible she is with her dancing, and she was definitely not expecting his answer:

• Mark Ballas: During the run, she was like, ‘Oh, I want to do Dancing with the Stars.’ I was like, ‘Maura, you can’t make it through a 45-minute challenge. How are you going to make it through ten hours of rehearsal? On our first day after rehearsal, she turned to me. She was like, ‘Mark, on a scale of 1 to 10, how shit am I?’
• Maura Higgins: You didn't really answer me.
• Ballas: A four.
• Higgins: A four?! That's so bad.
• Ballas: I’m joking. She’s a true beginner, so we’re building it brick by brick.

Considering Higgins really bonded with Ballas on The Traitors, it’s not surprising that they would have a playful relationship, and I absolutely love it. I can only imagine how both fun and serious their rehearsals are, and I'm eager to get more insight into that. If anything, though Ballas doesn’t seem to mind building up Higgins’ dance skills from the ground up, and it will be exciting to see how far they’re able to make it.

That being said, it’s not like Higgins came into the show with absolutely zero dancing skills. Over the summer, Val Chmerkovskiy was whipping Higgins into shape, and she really put in the work. The two were dancing together and, if she didn’t end up being partners with Ballas, it would have been fun to see her with Chmerkovskiy. Yet now I need DWTS to bring back Switch-Up Week so I can truly see her dancing with him.

Ahead of Higgins’ addition to DWTS, plenty of pros were campaigning to get a different Traitors contestant on the show. During the DWTS tour earlier this year, Ezra Sosa and Hailey Bills kickstarted a campaign to get Season 4 winner Rob Rausch in the ballroom. Ballas jumped on the train, having had a bromance with Rausch on that reality competition series. Rausch himself hilariously declined since he “can’t move like that,” but I wouldn’t be surprised if he still wound up in the ballroom to cheer on his pals this season.

Regardless of her dance skills, Higgins has some pretty tough competition. There's no way of knowing who will be winning the big prize for Season 35 but, luckily, fans won’t have to wait much longer to get a taste of their favorites. Dancing with the Stars' special two-night premiere will air on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be streamable with a Disney+ subscription.

There are a few competitors on Dancing with the Stars' 35th season who have extensive dance experience. It obviously gives them an advantage; however, it also presents a challenge they have to face head-on. Jenna Dewan is one of the stars set to deal with just that, and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, opened up about the “challenge” of being partnered with her and why he’s excited to face it on the 2026 TV schedule.

Stars like Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr. are early DWTS frontrunners in my book, because they have professional dance experience. However, while that’s likely making rehearsals easier for them, they still have an uphill battle when it comes to competing on this show. One of those challenges is the expectations they’ll have to manage from the audience. That’s specifically the challenge Chmerkovskiy pointed out too, as he told EW:

Before he could continue, The Rookie actress hopped in to say that this was “many years ago.” However, that does not diminish how good she is, and it sets the bar high for the pair. That excites Chmerkovskiy, though, as he stated:

A common debate among DWTS fans is in regard to whether stars with dance experience should be allowed on the show. So, both Dewan and Shum have been defending their casting, noting that their experience is not in ballroom dance. Plus, this show is a different kind of beast, so they still have a lot to learn.

However, there’s no denying that they do have an advantage because of their history, and therefore, the bar for them is higher. I mean, I’ve seen Step Up; I know how good Jenna Dewan is. So, yes, I already expect her to be very good. I know other fans feel the same way. Those expectations create a challenge that she has to live up to, and that’s the point her partner was making.

It’s a good challenge, though, and it’s one I’m excited to see them live up to. Along with Dewan and Shum, the DWTS cast is stacked with people who have the potential to make a deep run in the show. From Olympians like Amber Glenn and Ezra Frech to iconic actress Julia Stiles to Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson, the cast is full of exciting people who are here to compete.

Now, to see if Jenna Dewan and these other stars live up to the challenge, you can catch the two-night premiere of Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription at 8 p.m. ET.

I was so excited when Jenna Dewan was announced as a contestant on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars. However, not long after that, I started to wonder how exactly she’d balance the competition with her work on The Rookie, both of which will be filming this fall. I also wondered if she’d take a hiatus from the ABC drama. Thankfully, we quickly got answers about how her dancing will impact her part on The Rookie.

While Dancing with the Stars is airing on the 2026 TV schedule, Season 9 of The Rookie will be filming, with the intention of premiering in early 2027. So, how will the reality competition impact Dewan’s role on the drama? Here’s what she told TV Insider:

While this sounds incredibly hard, it’s by no means impossible. That’s especially true because both DWTS and The Rookie are ABC shows. So, it’s not like they’re competing; in fact, this feels like it’s all great promo for both projects. Therefore, I totally understand why the shows are being flexible with Dewan’s time.

Now, let’s get into some production details. The Rookie's cast and crew started filming Season 9 earlier this summer, and it will launch early next year with a superzied premiere, per Deadline. Meanwhile, rehearsals have started for DWTS, and Dewan will perform her first dance with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy on Wednesday, September 15.

Dancing with the Stars will actually have a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, and you can watch both episodes at 8 p.m. ET either on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription. After that, Dewan and co. will get on the schedule of preparing a dance every single week and then performing live.

While we can’t predict the future, it feels possible that the Step Up actress could make a deep run in this show. She has dance experience and a partner who has a history of making it a long way into the show (Val and his partner Alix Earle were frontrunners last season, and made it to the finale). Therefore, it’s possible that Dewan could be competing for over two months while also filming The Rookie.

Thankfully, both shows are filmed in Los Angeles, which should make all this more manageable, and again, they air on the same network, which will help.

I am curious to see if Dewan’s role in part of Season 9 is smaller than we’re used to, just because she will be splitting time between two shows. However, we won’t know if that happens for a while.

Speaking of things we’ll get to learn more about down the line, her dance partner, Val, did say he’d be down to do a cameo on The Rookie. Dewan also made it clear to him that her co-stars want to learn some dance moves. So, I guess we can expect at least some BTS crossover!

Now, to see how all this works out, and to watch Jenna Dewan give it her all on both shows, you can catch the premiere of Dancing with the Stars on September 15, and you can stream The Rookie on Disney+ or with a Hulu subscription ahead of Season 9’s premiere.

There are a handful of stars on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars who have very notable dance experience. One of them is Harry Shum Jr., who famously played Mike Chang on Glee, worked on the Step Up movies and toured with major artists as a background dancer. With his dance experience in mind, he’s an obvious frontrunner for this season of DWTS. However, he has also faced some criticism over his casting on the dance competition. Now, he’s defending his place on the show.

Literally, right after Shum was announced as part of the Dancing with the Stars cast, criticism started rolling in. This happens every season when there are stars on the show who have a history with dance, because they’re competing alongside others who have little to no dance experience. However, while he may have an advantage, the Grey’s Anatomy actor told People why this experience he’s about to go through on the 2026 TV schedule won’t be a walk in the park for him:

He makes a fair point; there are massive differences between dance styles that require different and oftentimes contradicting technique. So, what Shum did on Glee (which you can see with a Hulu subscription) or in Step Up 2: The Streets is not the same as what he’ll do on Dancing with the Stars. He’ll be partnered for these dances, which adds a new element as well.

Harry Shum Jr. explained all this further during an interview with ET, saying that while he has lots of dance experience in general, he has no experience in the worlds of dance that Dancing with the Stars focuses on:

I’m sure he’ll do great on stage, and Jenna Johnson will be a wonderful partner for him. I also believe his history with dance will be useful.

However, he makes a fair point when it comes to his casting, because while he can dance, he’s by no means a pro. The world of ballroom is new to him, and as his partner said earlier this summer, DWTS is a different beast that requires more than just learning the steps. So, that makes the criticism about a star’s experience a little less relevant, because they really do still have so much to learn.

It’s worth noting that Shum is not the only cast member this season with dance experience. Both Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles have notable histories with dance. Meanwhile, their fellow DWTS competitor Jackson Olson made a name for himself as one of the dancing baseball players on the Savannah Bananas, and Amber Glenn is an Olympic figure skater.

So, to be blunt, the competition is stacked this season, and you never know who will come out and surprise us among the cast. While dance experience helps, it does not guarantee a win. Therefore, as Harry Shum Jr. explained, he’ll have to really put in the work and compete just like everyone else in the cast.

Now, to see all these stars in the ballroom, you can catch the two-night premiere of Dancing with the Stars on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

Ladies and gents, it’s almost time to step back into the ballroom for another season of Dancing with the Stars, and it’s going to be a competitive season. Ahead of the show’s premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, the cast was announced, and it’s truly stacked. However, I already know who I want to win. I have to admit, though, they have some stiff competition.

I Desperately Want Harry Shum Jr. To Win DWTS

One thing you need to know about me is I’m a Gleek. So, anyone from Glee going on Dancing with the Stars would have had me stoked. However, the fact that it’s Harry Shum Jr. is the best news ever! His whole thing on Glee (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription) was dancing. So, I just know he’s going to absolutely kill it in the ballroom.

Shum was a backup dancer for artists like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, too. So, he's a shoo-in.

What will make him even better is the fact that he’s paired with Jenna Johnson. She won Season 33 with Joey Graziadei and Season 26 with Adam Rippon. She’s also placed second on two other occasions. She’s an absolute beast on the dance floor, and I just know she and Shum will be a dream team.

Plus, along with watching Glee during my formative teenage years, I was also a big So You Think You Can Dance fan, and rooted for Johnson when she competed during Season 10 in 2013. So, this pairing isn’t just made up of great dancers who I adore; they also give me a sense of nostalgia that makes me want to use all my votes on them.

However, He’s Not The Only Cast Member With Dance Experience

It will be an uphill battle, though. For seasons, a common DWTS criticism has centered around the show casting stars who have dance experience. This season, there are multiple competitors who have a notable dance background.

Alongside Shum, Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles have joined the cast. When you look back at both women’s filmographies, dance movies are prominent parts of them. I mean, Dewan was one of the leads of Step Up in 2006, and in 2001, Stiles led Save the Last Dance. Both those movies have major anniversaries this year, these actresses have big followings, and they have stellar pros, as Dewan will dance with Val Chmerkovskiy, and Stiles has been paired with Ezra Sosa. So, between nostalgia and experience, these two will be ones to watch this season.

Adding to this stiff competition, there are lots of other stars who might not have formal dance experience like these three, but will likely thrive on the show.

Take Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson, for example. He’s paired with Emma Slater, and I’m sure his moves on the field and presence online (their TikToks will be iconic) will work wonders for him as DWTS kicks into high gear.

Olympian and figure skater Amber Glenn is also part of this cast and paired with Pasha Pashkov, and track and field Olympian Ezra Frech is with Daniella Karagach. Athletes tend to make deep runs on DWTS, so we cannot count any of these folks out either.

It’s vital to remember that Dancing with the Stars always surprises, too. You never know who could be the shock of the season, so everyone does stand a chance to win.

However, when it comes to who will get my vote, I have to follow my heart and the dance moves I know are already there, and root for Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson.

Now, to see all these folks dance, you can catch the two-night premiere of Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can also stream the show live with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

We now know who won DWTS: The Next Pro and which of the final three we’ll see in Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars when it debuts. And while I’m fully on board with the crowning of someone who was a definite contender from the beginning, I would love to see the other two finalists also make it to the main show in some capacity. They’re certainly deserving of the opportunity.

After The Next Pro semi-finalists had the opportunity to choreograph for DWTS pro dancers, the final episode put them to the ultimate test, working with celebs from past seasons to create two performances – the competitors’ favorite style of ballroom or Latin and a freestyle dance. Selena Hamilton was paired with Season 26 winner and Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, A.J. Pritchard had Season 31 winner and social media personality Charli D’Amelio as his partner, and Adele Zaikman teamed up with TV host/producer Nev Schulman, who came in second place in Season 29.

When I heard which past DWTS celebrities would be joining the last three competitors, it seemed that A.J. might be getting an advantage by dancing with someone who won most recently. But after watching their first performances, it felt like it was anyone’s final to win and that the freestyle would likely be playing a big part in the ultimate decision.

Outside of the competition, it was fun to see DWTS Season 34 winners Robert Irwin and Witney Carson team up to not only co-host, but to kick the finale off by dancing together again, alongside judges Mark Ballas, Shirley Ballas, and Derek Hough. Robert also sat down with the final three dancers to hear about their experiences in the competition. The behind-the-scenes moments throughout the episodes have been one of my favorite aspects of The Next Pro, and while DWTS does a little bit of that, I hope they’ll do more in the future.

And then, everything came down to the freestyle dances, just like it does in the finale of Dancing with the Stars. Personally, Selena was hands-down the winner of this round for me. She was an absolute star who embodied everything that I love about a finale freestyle performance, delivering a stunning dance that, as Shirley Ballas declared, would be ranked as one of the best on DWTS. Comparatively, A.J. and Adele were also fantastic with an insane level of technical skill. Their freestyles included a combination of ballroom and Latin dances, and both dancers were able to unleash all their years of competitive training.

Ultimately, it was Adele who took The Next Pro crown, and I will definitely look forward to watching her in the upcoming DWTS season. I don’t want to take away from her deserved win, but I do hope to see Selena and A.J. on the main series in the future. They’ve both proven to be versatile, dynamic dancers who can teach partners of varying degrees of ability, as well as dance with other pros.

Now that The Next Pro has concluded its run on the 2026 TV schedule, the official line-up of celebrities officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35, which includes a pregnant Witney Carson, will be revealed on Good Morning America on September 2^nd. And then, you can watch them compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy when things kick off with a two-night premiere event that begins on September 15^th.

Whether Dancing with the Stars should cast stars with dance experience is a debate as old as time. OK, I’m being dramatic, but it is a debate that comes up season after season. Now, with the next installment of DWTS set to premiere this fall on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s come up again. Thankfully, pro Jenna Johnson has addressed the criticism, and she made some fantastic points.

From Olympic figure skaters and gymnasts to Disney Channel alums to a Dance Moms vet to TikTok stars, there are lots of contestants in DWTS's back catalog who have some sort of dance experience. JoJo Siwa (who was Johnson’s partner) and Charli D'Amelio come to mind as two who had a legit dance background before joining the series. The criticism is that other stars with less experience are at a disadvantage because of this. So, Johnson was asked about this by Us Weekly. Here’s how her explanation began:

Jenna Johnson really has had a wide range of partners. She’s won twice, with figure skater Adam Rippon in Season 26 and with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei in Season 33. She also came in second with Catfish’s Nev Schulman and JoJo Siwa in Seasons 29 and 30, respectively. See, there’s a range of experience represented here, and they did well.

To that point, Johnson emphasized that Dancing with the Stars is more than just dancing. It’s also about being ready to perform live on television. That adds a whole new layer to this beast, as she explained:

That’s so true; a great dancer could be terrible in a live environment, while someone with little to no experience is a natural in the spotlight but has to really work on their moves. Excelling on Dancing with the Stars does not just mean doing the choreography well; it also means thriving in a high-pressure, live environment, as the longtime pro said:

Along with DWTS being a different beast than simply being good at dancing, the show is a popularity contest. The fans vote on who gets to go through, and typically, the people who really commit to the process, show improvement, and charm the audience (no matter how good they are) tend to do the best.

I mean, let’s all remember how far Andy Richter made it last season. While he wasn’t getting the highest scores, he was having so much fun, and he charmed those watching, so he got pretty far. Notably, he was eliminated eighth, and then the week after that, Whitney Leavitt, the contestant with notable dance experience last season, got voted out. Ultimately, Robert Irwin won Season 34, and while he became a good dancer, he didn’t have prior experience.

So, overall, I think Jenna Johnson made some good points. Someone can have dance experience, but they’ve never done Dancing with the Stars. It’s a different situation entirely, and it means people of varying degrees of dance experience, or those with none, have a chance to thrive.

Now, to see who takes home the mirrorball this year, you can catch the Season 35 premiere of Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, September 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

Things got very real during the semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, as the final four competitors had to perform two dances, one paired with pros from DWTS and one partnered amongst themselves. Teaching and choreography have been key to the success of the contestants, and will be what ultimately will be what makes or breaks their trajectory toward the live shows. It was really interesting to watch the pros, who are also choreographers themselves, not be able to offer any input for their routines, but instead just acting as a conduit for how the contestants wanted to shape their performances.

Just like with the social media influencers on The Next Pro, judges Mark Ballas, Shirley Ballas, and guest judge Kym Johnson sat down with DWTS Season 34 winner Witney Carson (paired with Allen Genkin) and pros Gleb Savchenko (paired with Adele Zaikman), Riley Arnold (paired with A.J. Pritchard for a Cha Cha), and Jan Ravnik (paired with Selena Hamilton) as they spilled the tea on how things were going.

After getting to know the competitors over the last six episodes, it made both the feedback about and the performances with the semi-finalists exactly what I expected. Still, we're getting to the point where the eliminations are getting tough.

With Witney and Allen, they were a joy to watch together and delivered a thrilling Jive, but his need to believe in himself held him back a bit. Whereas A.J. had the confidence, but his Cha Cha with Riley lacked a little in the "wow" factor because he was so intensely focused. The fact Jan and Selena both came from a commercial dance background made their Salsa feel like something straight out of a music video, with a huge amount of personality and tricks. Whether Selena wins this competition or not, it’s clear she’s a star. In comparison, Adele was by far the fiercest technical ballroom dancer and she pushed the clearly out of breath Gleb for their Samba, with Shirley Ballas calling her a “masterpiece.”

For their second dance, Selena and Allen had great chemistry and really delivered the fun with their Quickstep. Adele and A.J., the two most technically skilled on the show, partnered for a Foxtrot. Watching Adele, you got the impression she really was the type of dancer who lives ready to perform, compete, and win. The pressure was on to deliver and the bar was set very high because all four of the dance hopefuls have been super talented and could easily succeed on the main show.

You could tell that this was the hardest elimination for the judges and that it was really tough to have to say goodbye to someone so close to the end. I personally thought it was an absolutely exceptional semi-final, but the dancer considered to have “ever so slightly under-performed,” according to Shirley Ballas, was Allen. When someone so talented and with such heart has been eliminated, it’s been tearjerkers all around.

In fact, Allen caught my attention in Episode 2 with his dance tribute to his mother and wanting to honor her dream by making it onto DWTS. It’s hard to see that dream cut short.

Next week, the finale of The Next Pro is on the 2026 TV schedule on Monday on ABC. Once the winner is crowned, we should then learn all of the celebrities officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35 before its two-night premiere event begins on September 15^th. We've already gotten one fun update that Witney Carson will be competing while pregnant alongside Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez. All the drama and dancing for the new season just can’t come soon enough!

Alfonso Ribeiro will be returning to Dancing With the Stars for Season 35 on the 2026 TV schedule, marking his fifth season as co-host. Considering DWTS is live, one would think that hosting can get pretty intimidating at times, no matter how many times you do it. You never know what could go wrong, you never know what cues you might miss. However, Ribeiro shared the ritual he goes through before taping episodes.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum joined DWTS as a co-host in Season 31 alongside Tyra Banks, who later exited and was replaced by former pro and judge Julianne Hough. The two co-hosts are definitely a force to be reckoned with, but even a few seasons in (and after many years of hosting AFV), Ribeiro still gets nervous ahead of live tapings. But it’s nothing a simple mantra can’t help, and he told People about his go-to ritual that seems to be just the thing he needs. As he put it:

It’s hard to predict what could or could not go wrong and if everything will turn out perfect before a live show. Ribeiro telling himself to just let it happen and basically to go with the flow makes perfect sense. There is only so much he can do from his standpoint, and he can’t prevent anything that ends up going wrong. Making sure to put his focus on the performances in the ballroom rather than the ballroom as a whole is definitely helpful for him.

Of course, since DWTS is live, it’s not always perfect, and there have definitely been some things that have gone wrong or didn’t go exactly as planned. Whether it’s a judge putting in the wrong score, a performance not going the way it should have, or simply messing up the script, it happens. It sounds like Ribeiro has just the perfect way to not worry about any of it and just live in the present.

When Ribeiro first started hosting DWTS, though, he was as nervous as ever. He previously admitted that his first time hosting was one of the most terrifying moments of his life. Even though he already had plenty of hosting experience with America’s Funniest Home Videos by that point, with seven years under his belt, DWTS is live, as opposed to AFV, which is pre-recorded. He’s definitely gotten more used to it, but that doesn’t mean that he still can’t have a mantra to help settle the nerves.

People will be able to look forward to many more hosting moments from Alfonso Ribeiro when he returns to co-host Season 35 along with Julianne Hough. The two-night season premiere of DWTS airs on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

Social media personalities have become a significant part of the cast on Dancing with the Stars, bringing their large followings with them as they’re introduced to an even wider audience. Just last season (Season 34), Alix Earle was the runner-up with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, and in Season 31, Charli D’Amelio won with pro Mark Ballas. So, it makes perfect sense that when it came time for The Next Pro to bring in “superfans” for the final five competitors to teach, that they would be social media influencers.

After last week’s unexpected elimination, I have to admit, when I realized the episode would so heavily involved influencers, I had my doubts. The thing that really won me over was the fact that the episode really took time to give viewers insight into who these influencers are and why they are so popular. They were also able to really articulate how they felt things were going, and why they did or didn’t like how their partner was teaching them.

It helped me get to know them and their personalities, and not only did I find myself rooting for them, but it actually made me want to see one of them on the main DWTS series.

Unlike Dancing with the Stars, which seems to have at least one celeb each season with an extensive dance background, the influencers seemed to be on the same level when it came to their ability, which mostly consisted of some fun online videos but nothing professional. The pros normally get two weeks prior to the start of a season to get into a training groove with their celebrity partner, but on The Next Pro, the competitors only had two days.

As a result, their strengths and weaknesses as teachers became apparent very quickly, leaving their influencers with varying degrees of confidence about the final performance.

What I really liked about this episode was that a good chunk of time was given to the influencers rehearsing their dances. Guest judge Witney Carson, who got to reunite with host and Season 34 champion Robert Irwin, also met with them to get honest feedback on how their dance partners were as coaches and how they rated their own confidence level for performing the routine they were given.

It was so much fun to see the influencers all sit together around a fire and talk about their experiences that it made me hope for a way that could be done on the main show, with hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro talking to the celeb cast.

By far, the best performance overall was Adele Zaikman and her Tango with Anthony Riccardo. Even though Anthony had expressed having a low confidence level that he could pull it off, he was truly able to shine.

Because Jeremy Urann spoke up and asked Selena Hamilton to throw some things into their Quick Step that played to his strengths, you could tell how much he enjoyed himself and their performance was the most fun. While I felt like any of this group of influencers would be fun on DWTS, I would love to see Jeremy bring his infectious personality to the main show.

A.J. Pritchard with his partner Bailey McKnight, and Allen Genkin with his partner Zaira Yzabelle, both doing Waltzes, succeeded in building trust and connection in their performances. Faulted for her time management, Nina Mayster was eliminated for her Foxtrot, leaving partner Jay Wyson emotional on her behalf.

While Maura Higgins has expressed interest in wanting Traitors co-star Mark Ballas as her pro partner, it shouldn’t be long before we learn all of the celebrities officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35 two-night premiere event, starting on September 15^th. Until then, The Next Pro is on the 2026 TV schedule with the Semi-Finals and Finals on ABC on Mondays, before the winner is finally crowned.

Dancing with the Stars will be breaking new ground in Season 35 (but hopefully nothing actually gets broken) when it hits the 2026 TV schedule next month. Reigning pro champion Witney Carson revealed Monday that she will be returning to defend the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, and what’s more, she’ll be doing it while carrying her third child, making her the first pro to enter a season while pregnant.

Witney Carson made the big announcement on Good Morning America on August 17, also revealing that she’ll be paired with Guillermo Rodriguez — Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime late-night sidekick — as her Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity partner. As for why Carson chose to compete this season in the second trimester of her pregnancy she told THR:

Witney Carson is out here proving that women really can have it all! Of course the dancer’s health and the health of her unborn child took priority in her decision, she said. Dancing with the Stars is infamous for having really intense rehearsals, and growing a human in your body is no small matter either, especially considering every season sees injuries to some degree —- some which have forced DWTS contestants to drop out of the competition.

This was presumably part of the many conversations Witney Carson and her husband reportedly had with Dancing with the Stars casting director Deena Katz. The dancer said:

While it may be rare to see a pregnant DWTS pro, this won’t be the first time someone danced with-child. In fact, Witney Carson announced she was expecting during the Season 31 semifinals in 2022. (She subsequently chose to not compete on Season 32.) Professional dancer Daniella Karagach also continued dancing after learning in the Season 31 premiere that she was pregnant.

This will be the first time, however, a pro goes into the season knowing they’re expecting, and she will be further along in her pregnancy than any competitor before. She said:

This definitely sounds like an exciting and empowering thing to watch, and hopefully Witney Carson continues to feel good and strong enough to defend her title. Last season’s victory with Robert Irwin was Carson’s second overall — she previously won with Alfonso Ribeiro in 2014 before he became DWTS’ co-host.

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson will reunite on Dancing with the Stars’ spinoff competition series DWTS: The Next Pro on the Monday, August 17, episode on ABC and streaming the next day with a Disney+ subscription. Then tune in to see Carson make history when DWTS Season 35 premieres at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 15.

Dancing With the Stars is preparing to step back into the ballroom for Season 35 on the 2026 TV schedule, and the competition and drama are already looking tough. Several celebrity contestants for Season 35 have been announced, with many more on the way. The full cast announcement is expected to be in September, and there is no telling who will be competing and who will be paired up. What can be assumed is that the judges will once again be as strict as ever, and longtime judge Bruno Tonioli has an understandable reason for it.

Tonioli has been a judge on Dancing With the Stars since the very first season. He has seen it all, which is why he’s coming down harder on the competitors each season. It’s no secret that the judges on DWTS can be harsh and that the fans have a lot of opinions about it. That’s only because the competition in the ballroom is getting fiercer each season, as Tonioli revealed during a panel at the first-ever Dancing With the Stars Con in Palm Springs (via People):

Dancing With the Stars has had a variety of contestants over the course of its run. Some of them have dance experience, others with none at all. As for the DWTS pros, they seem to really up the game each season, with technique and execution, and you never know what to expect. They also improve each season, the more they compete and the more challenges they have to do, meaning that the competition gets tougher. It makes sense for Tonioli and the other judges to really look deeper into the dances.

For all that it may be taken seriously and requires hard work, DWTS is still a fun show. Every season, it’s clear that the pros and contestants have a lot of fun, even when rehearsals get tough. Just look at all the TikToks that come out of DWTS each year. Tonioli mentioned the “friendly competition” between the pairs, and what kind of feedback they’re all looking for:

The friendly competition is one of my favorite parts about DWTS. Everyone on the show is friends, but they’re always looking for something that will improve their game. The tougher the competition, the tougher the judges are going to be, for better or worse. While the full cast has not been announced for Season 35 yet, I have a feeling the contestants will be even fiercer this time around.

Fans will soon see how tough the competition is when Dancing With the Stars’ two-night Season 35 premiere kicks off on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and with a Disney+ subscription. New episodes will also stream with a Hulu subscription the following day.

Dancing with the Stars Season 35 doesn’t premiere on the 2026 TV schedule until September 15, but the drama is already in full swing. Before any of the celebrities and their professional dance partners have even started the live competition series, The Traitors alum Maura Higgins, who will compete in the new season, has made it known that she’d be cool to partner with anyone, except for Gleb Savchenko.

I’m not sure how the partnering selections work for DWTS, or just how much say the celeb cast has over who they get to perform with, but Higgins is being very vocal and clear about who she doesn’t want to spend time with. While that may seem harsh, she has reason, and now Gleb has responded.

Why Maura Higgins Does Not Want To Dance With Gleb Savchenko

Maura Higgins and Brooks Nader share the bond of both coming from the world of reality television. From Love Island to Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, it was only a matter of time before the Love Island Games challenge host followed her friend’s footsteps into the DWTS ballroom. So, when a conversation with E! News turned to who Higgins might want to pair up with, she made it clear that she wasn’t interested in spending time with Gleb Savchenko, Nader’s showmance-turned-romance ex.

While it’s been over a year since the romance between Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko sparked during Season 33, that doesn’t mean the drama has been forgotten.

Dancing with the Stars has been known for its fair share of romances, but the relationship between Brooks and Gleb was more public than most, ending dramatically after less than a year when the model/actress accused the dancer of cheating on her own reality series, Love Thy Nader. Gleb then made some unkind remarks about her and their relationship.

Now, Maura Higgins has weighed in by telling the outlet:

With all that being said, it's clear why she has no interest in dancing with Gleb. Now, the pro has responded.

How Gleb Savchenko Responded to Maura Higgins Comments

Gleb Savchenko is also entitled to speak to his side of things and recently did so in a statement to People. Firing back against Higgins' comments, the dancer said:

Higgins has expressed interest in wanting Traitors co-star Mark Ballas as her pro partner and has even been seen dancing with Val Chmerkovskiy. However, no final decision about who she’ll be paired with has been revealed yet.

The Traitors star has said that she will bring her personality and charisma and try her best since she has two left feet; it will be interesting to see how it ultimately all plays out. DWTS Season 35 will premiere with a two-night event on ABC, and you can stream it with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

Whether it’s a romantic connection or you’re just creating a vibe, believable chemistry is so important to a performance because you have to sell the story to your audience. And that’s the challenge that got a dance couple sent home this week, in the fourth episode of DWTS: The Next Pro when Jenna Johnson came to guest judge.

After last week’s episode sent a dancer home because of a medical emergency, combined with this week's couple elimination, we’re now at the halfway point, with the initial 12 contestants narrowed down to six. Meaning fans are that much closer to the September 15^th premiere of Dancing with the Stars Season 35 on the 2026 TV schedule. But a new dark horse has risen up in the competition, as one of the contestants was called out by host Shirley Ballas, aka The Queen of Latin.

Picking two of the world’s most passionate dances – the Rumba and the Argentine Tango – the judges gave the dancers the directive to send pulses racing while creating something that feels intimate. After a round of DWTS: The Next Pro speed dating, where everyone partnered with each other to see how things felt, Adele Zaikman picked A.J. Pritchard, Selena Hamilton picked Erik Linder, and both Nina Mayster and Stephani Sosa picked Allen Genkin, leaving it in his hands to choose Nina.

Tristen Sanders let Stephani know he was bitter about not getting picked by her in the first place. But as the pairings went on excursions together to form bonds outside of the rehearsal studio, they were thankfully able to work things out.

Getting into your own head as a dancer can kill the emotion of any routine and it can cause disconnect in a partnership. The rehearsals with Jenna Johnson were all a bit bumpy as the contestants were finding those connections with each other, so going into the final performances, it felt like any of the pairs could win or lose.

Selena And Erik's Steamy Dance Wowed The Judges

Response was mixed for Stephani and Tristen, whose Rumba didn’t quite come together on every level, and Nina and Allen, whose Argentine Tango mixed more styles of dance than they were asked to do. Adele and A.J.’s Rumba routine worked because they’re both technically skilled and, honestly, Adele is the kind of superstar dancer that can find chemistry with anyone or anything.

But it was Selena and Erik who left the judges speechless and fanning themselves with their Argentine Tango. There was a confidence and intensity in their performance that allowed them to soar above in the competition this week, and Erik was specifically applauded with a standing ovation from Shirley Ballas, who declared him the new frontrunner.

Ultimately, the judges decided to eliminate Tristen and the teary-eyed Stephani, whose brother Ezra Sosa is a pro on DWTS. There were no bad performances this week, which proved not just just how talented all the contestants are, but also how it’s only going to get harder until the winner is announced.

Even if you haven’t watched Dancing with the Stars in the past, The Next Pro is a great place to start because you can then follow the winner into the new season when it debuts. As the series continues with new episodes on ABC on Mondays, we keep getting one step closer to learning all of the celebrities officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35.

I have only seen one episode of Dancing with the Stars. I caught it while waiting for someone in a lounge once. I found the show intriguing, but I was too busy at the time to look into it further. The show has had plenty of contestants that I would have liked to see perform on the show, especially because some are considered the best to ever compete. I just never got around to watching another Dancing with the Stars episode.

When I heard about Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, which is available with a Hulu subscription, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give the franchise a chance. It’s now a must-watch for me.

It Makes Me Look Forward To Seeing Who Wins And Starts Their Dancing With The Stars Career

I only know a few of the long-time Dancing with the Stars pros, such as Mark Ballas, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and Derek Hough. Therefore, I am not familiar with many of the pros, but it’s been fun getting to know some of them through their appearances on this series. It’s immediately making me wonder how the contestants would fit alongside them in future seasons.

Great reality TV shows make you grow attachments to the contestants. You care about their successes, failures, and how they stand out. I felt strongly about the contestants on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. I care who wins because I am already invested in a few of them and their journeys.

I see their talent, stories, and ambitions and want to see them get this opportunity. I found myself stressing out during a recent elimination. That only happens when I care about the outcome of these silly reality TV shows.

Being so invested in their storylines is also why I will likely watch the next season of Dancing with the Stars. I want to see the winner’s debut and progress alongside those competing.

I Enjoy Hearing The Judges’ Feedback Because It Feels Genuine

I grew up watching reality TV shows, so I know how helpful or unhelpful judges can be to a contestant’s progress. The Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro judges land somewhere in the middle of helpful and unhelpful. Shirley Ballas gives very constructive and helpful criticism. This was one of my main thoughts when watching the first couple of episodes. She’s the most seasoned and professional judge.

Mark Ballas is fine as a judge, but he’s more kind and less critical. He can enjoy a contestant's vibes and excuse some technical errors. The guest judges vary. Some fall more towards the Shirley line of criticism, while others are similar to Mark.

I love dance but have limited knowledge and skills. Therefore, it’s really helpful to hear feedback from these professionals, just as a viewer curious about the world of dance.

I Like The Range Of The Next Pro Dancers Because All Are Professionals But Are Different Degrees Of Them

It’s clear that a lot goes into preparing for this show, and that it requires high levels of dance skills. The dancers vary in their discipline and their skill levels. That comes across in their performances, but it makes the show more exciting. A commercial dancer could beat someone who has won dance championships. You just can’t predict who will excel each week or in the end.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro has won many people over who aren’t fans of the original series. It’s definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re not ready to commit to the original.

Stream Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on Hulu.

Look, I completely understand why so many people enjoy Dancing with the Stars. The celebrities, the costumes, and my god the showmances, all on live TV — what’s not to love? And yet, anytime I’ve watched an episode of the longtime ABC competition or tried to get into it, my interest fades fast. Therefore, it was not with high hopes that I fired up my Disney+ subscription to catch up on DWTS: The Next Pro, but boy, I’m glad I did, because I am obsessed.

What’s My Issue With Dancing With The Stars?

I’m not going to dwell on anything negative here, because there’s really nothing bad to say. My indifference to Dancing with the Stars comes down to personal preference. I’ve watched everything from Dance Moms to So You Think You Can Dance to America’s Best Dance Crew, and I also love all things celebrity-related, but for whatever reason, the two just don’t mix for me.

(I also find it really distracting that they use a cover band instead of the original songs.)

When I watch dancing shows, I want to see trained dancers practicing their craft, not reality stars and other public figures playing tourist. So that’s one reason why Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro has been a good alternative for me.

DWTS: The Next Pro Is Healing Me After So You Think You Can Dance’s Cancellation

My first thought when watching the first two episodes of The Next Pro was how well it filled the So You Think You Can Dance-sized hole in my heart. The Fox series — which actually featured DWTS alums Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Allison Holker as judges in its final season — was canceled after its 2024 run, and this seems to be a very suitable replacement.

DWTS: The Next Pro offers a similar premise, with professionals competing to be the last dancer standing. Instead of a long audition process, however, only 12 contestants — including current Dancing with the Stars pro Ezra Sosa’s sister — are featured. That made it easy to start rooting for my favorites right away. The challenges are also well-suited to the job these dancers are vying for.

Robert Irwin And The Ballases Are So Charming

The host of any competition show is important because they’re the ones who keep everything flowing. The contestants know where to go, viewers know what’s going on, everybody’s happy. It’s important for the host to get us pumped for the journey ahead, and in that case, I don’t think The Next Pro could have made a better choice than Season 34 DWTS champion Robert Irwin (sorry not sorry, Alfonso). Irwin brings the enthusiasm big time, and his smile is so dang infectious.

As important as casting a good host is, the judges are even more integral, and I love the choice to include the mother/son duo Shirley Ballas, head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and Mark Ballas, a DWTS pro since 2007.

I wasn't very familiar with Shirley, but I quickly learned she's straight fire. I also really got to like Mark Ballas on The Traitors (and the cute friendships he formed with Kristen Kish and Maura Higgins). The guest judges so far have been really helpful and fun to watch as well.

Who knows? After The Next Pro names its winner, maybe I’ll be inspired to watch DWTS Season 35 when it premieres on the 2026 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 15. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro airs at 8 p.m. Mondays on ABC.

Dancing With the Stars has seen its fair share of rumors over the years, even as the show prepares to enter its 35^th season on the 2026 TV schedule. The cast (both past and present) has dealt with the rumor mill quite a lot. Sometimes it turns out to be real, such as a showmance turning real or a potential pro or celebrity contestant joining after much speculation. Other times rumors turn out false, such as a pro leaving the show. Former pro Sharna Burgess is now squashing one rumor about herself, specifically her relationship.

Burgess is no stranger to dealing with rumors, particularly revolving around why she didn’t return to Dancing With the Stars following Season 30 and her relationship with Brian Austin Green. This latest rumor has to do with the latter. Burgess got engaged to the Beverly Hills, 90210 star in 2023, and the two have been taking their time tying the knot. Many believed the pair was one step closer following a picture Burgess herself posted on Instagram in June. And given her caption, I can understand why. Check it out below:

Posting a photo of you and your beau kissing at a beautiful location is one thing, but saying that the wedding venue has been found is another. Not surprisingly, people were wondering what was going on with Burgess and Green, and the dancer has set the record straight.

While appearing on Jana Kramer’s Wine Down podcast, Burgess explained that they were on vacation in Ireland and went to Adair Manor, and it’s “just dreamy.” Burgess told Green that it was the best wedding location ever, even though “it’s probably half a million dollars just for the day.”

Of course, it wasn’t set in stone right then and there, with Burgess noting that if they could swing it, then they’d do it. But she just loved taking a bunch of photos at the location, and wanted to post them on Instagram. One picture was going to have the caption, “Wedding location vibes.” Ultimately, the site crashed, and she couldn’t upload it. When she was eventually able to post it, she captioned the photo, “Wedding location found.” It turned into a whole thing, as she put it:

Honestly, I can see where the mistake is made. Even though Burgess’ own family thought she had truly chosen the wedding venue without letting anyone know and the logistics, at least she was able to clear it up. For now, it seems like Adair Manor is not in the cards for the Burgess and Green wedding, but she’s not counting it out just yet. The wedding isn’t exactly a top priority for them since they are pretty busy, but who knows? If anything, at least this rumor has been debunked. The DWTS cast have taken on some challenges, and rumors are just part of it, unfortunately.

We may not be getting anything from The Bachelor franchise on the 2026 TV schedule, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see some of our favorite alumni on our screens. Joey Graziadei, who had an “unprecedented” ending to Season 28 of the dating show, will make his acting debut in a holiday rom-com later this year, and with many familiar faces celebrating the big news, I’d have to agree with the reaction from Graziadei’s bride-to-be Kelsey Anderson.

Roku announced Joey Graziadei will star opposite Jamie Chung in The Holiday Spark this Christmas. According to the movie’s logline, the Dancing with the Stars champ plays Dean, a perpetually single firefighter who enlists the help of a children’s book illustrator (Chung) to plan an epic holiday party for his firehouse. You can’t blame Kelsey Anderson for being fired up about the news, as she commented on his Instagram page:

I’d definitely have to agree with this assessment, but possibly for different reasons. Kelsey Anderson is undoubtedly excited to see doors in the entertainment industry opening for Joey Graziadei — not to mention she gets to see her fiancé dressed up like a firefighter.

Bachelor Nation fans will certainly enjoy seeing the former rose-distributor in uniform as well, but this news also feels like an early Christmas gift for a fandom that’s had a pretty rough year.

Kelsey Anderson wasn’t the only Bachelor veteran to weigh in on Joey Graziadei’s upcoming movie. Other comments included:

• Kathy Swarts: Congrats Joey👏
• Hakeem Moulton: I’m sat!
• Tyler Cameron: Going to crush!
• Tanner Courtad: CANT WAIT 🍿
• Kaity Biggar: So cool!!! Congrats Joey 👏!!!
• Ben Higgins: Bet you made it look easy!
• Zach Shallcross: That’s so awesome!! 🔥 congrats!!

Some fans made humorous comments about Kelsey Anderson having to watch her man kiss other women again — as was the case on The Bachelor — but hopefully she won’t feel as negatively about it as Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar’s husbands.

In addition to those responses, the Dancing with the Stars crew came through with well-wishes for the Season 33 winner's role in The Holiday Spark, writing:

• Ilona Maher: Pumped for you!!
• Alfonso Ribeiro: Congrats brother.
• Stephen Nedoroscik: Woahhh congrats!!
• Daniella Karagach: LFG JOOOEYYYYY

Joey Graziadei seemed as pumped as the rest of us about the upcoming movie, saying in a statement:

There’s something funny about the fact that we watched Joey Graziadei fall in love in real life on The Bachelor, and now we’re going to see him act out a love story (albeit a very different one) on The Holiday Spark. Either way, I’m taking this news as an early Christmas present.

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Hulu subscription.

To hold you over until Dancing with the Stars debuts on the 2026 TV schedule this fall with Season 35, DWTS: The Next Pro is expanding the hit franchise. Instead of focusing on celebrities whose professional dance partners guide them as they compete to win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, the new series sets out to find the next pro among 12 up-and-comers. Rest assured, just because there are no celebrity contestants on this Season 35 prequel, there will still be drama. But more on that later.

I must admit, I have a spot in my heart for dance shows. Whether it’s World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, or even Bunheads, I will be tuned in. I’m also down for a good unexpected but amazing movie dance sequence, like with “I’m Just Ken” in the Barbie movie or the Michael Jackson “Thriller” moment in 13 Going on 30.

So, moving six male and six female dancers into a house with bunk beds as they (probably literally) shed blood, sweat, and tears in a grueling audition process, and I have my popcorn ready. Let’s dig into what I learned from watching the first two episodes of DWTS: The Next Pro.

Going To Work With Your Mother Might Lead To Some Spicy Clashes

Yes, the contestants on DWTS: The Next Pro are fierce, but so are the judges. While fans of Dancing with the Stars will be familiar with three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas, he’s being joined at the judges’ table, right in the center seat, by his mother Shirley Ballas, aka “The Queen of Latin.” Mama Ballas is a champion in her own right, an elite teacher, the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and she has the type of presence that makes you want to stand up straighter when she enters the room. It also quickly becomes clear that being mother and son won’t prevent clashes from happening when the two disagree.

Shirley Ballas is known for being firm but fair, while her son Mark Ballas has built a bit of a reputation as a rebel who will throw out the rule book when the situation calls for it. That blend of tradition and imagination is perfect for a DWTS pro dancer that’s looking to stand out from the crowd, but for a mother and son who are working side by side on a reality competition series, it’s going to cause some disagreements, and I am here for them all.

Now, the Ballas duo are professionals, so even if things do get spicy, I’m sure they can work it out. In the setup for the season at the start of the first episode, there’s a fun clip with Mark saying, “Do the show with your mom, they said. It will be fun, they said.” But Shirley laughs it off, so I think we’re safe and reassured that no judges were harmed in the making of this reality show. And there will be a different guest judge every week from the lineup of DWTS pros that can jump in to ease the tension if need be.

When Dance Show Contestants Get Vulnerable, I End Up In Tears With Chills

There is only so much airtime in a one-hour TV show, so the focus of DWTS is unsurprisingly primarily on the journeys of the celebrities, through injury and triumph. Season 35 is still a few months away from its debut, but that’s no reason not to start the hype for the celebrity contestants, having already announced Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez, Savannah Banana’s Jackson Olson, and Summer House and The Traitors star Ciara Miller. The Traitors and Love Island star Maura Higgins is already getting into shape with DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

DWTS: The Next Pro will have demanding challenges every week, meant to test the hopefuls’ ability to cope with the extreme pressure of the live show as they prove their technical excellence and creativity as choreographers. If you have an off week and fall short on technique, you can put more hours in at the rehearsal studio. But what often trips up the celebrity contestants on DWTS, especially the ones who aren’t actors, is being able to open themselves up emotionally in a very vulnerable way and connect that with the steps.

I was so happy to see DWTS: The Next Pro only waited until Episode 2 to bring on a challenge using dance to tell a meaningful personal story. Admittedly, I got nervous when they paired the contestants and told them to choose a story between them because that could have easily led to disaster for any pairing that didn’t fully connect or listen to each other. And while some performances didn’t live up to the promise of what they could have been, it was beautiful to witness the partnerships that did click. There’s one performance in particular, by Allen Genkin and Adele Zaikman, that was so authentic and raw that it immediately gave me chills because it felt like the dancers had cracked open their souls and poured all of their emotions out onto the dance floor. It left the dancers, their fellow contestants, the host, the judges, and yes, even me, in tears.

Robert Irwin Just Might Be The Most Wholesome Person In Entertainment

Aussie wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin made a splash on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 alongside his pro partner Witney Carson, securing victory together. Throughout his season, he stayed open to learning and absorbing everything and really wore his heart on his sleeve. And that’s really working for him as the host of DWTS: The Next Pro.

Robert Irwin is able to let his smile light up the room, offer words of encouragement, and sit beside you and share a moment of understanding, with all of it feeling completely genuine. There’s a beautiful exchange in Episode 2 when Robert Irwin goes to check in on the contestant who is working out his own grief through dance. If you’ve lost a parent, which I have, you understand the importance of just sitting with someone who knows what those emotions are without having to say anything at all. To be able to be so open and vulnerable about his own experiences with the loss of his father, Steve Irwin, and sharing what it was like for him to walk through his own grief during his time on DWTS was powerful and reassuring. I look forward to seeing what more he has in store as the competition narrows.

Being A Pro On Dancing With The Stars Is Hard Work

Being on Dancing with the Stars is hard work, and not just for the celebrity contestants, many of whom have no dance experience, put in endless hours of rehearsals practicing movements that don’t come naturally to them, and work through often quite painful injuries. It’s also hard work for the pros, no matter how easy they make it look. As someone who took my first dance class at the age of 4, grew up learning a variety of styles, and had a brief professional stint, I know what it takes, and I admire the perseverance. Dancers put everything on the line and are pushed to the extreme, having to roll with whatever happens during a live performance.

I actually really appreciate the fact that things were a bit bumpy for quite a few of the dancers in the first episode because it shows that even dancers who have been champions or have shared the stage with music superstars can still have an off day and can learn and grow. The one thing that I’m most surprised by with DWTS: The Next Pro is that it’s taken 34 seasons of DWTS for this competition series to even happen. I have no idea who is going to be the last dancer standing and win their way onto Season 35 (though we know it won't be the three who have been eliminated, Benji Castro, Jake Monreal, and Briar Nolet), or if that winner will be replacing one of the current DWTS pros. Still, I am here for every second of it, every Monday until they make the final announcement.

To hold fans of Dancing with the Stars over until the series returns to the 2026 TV schedule this fall with Season 35, DWTS: The Next Pro was created to put 12 up-and-comers to the test and pick a winner who will enter the season as the newest pro dancer. With the competition high and the pressure to impress the judges -- three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother, elite teacher and champion Shirley Ballas -- even higher, you might think that already having a relative on DWTS would give you a leg up. But, per one of the contestants, that might have actually made things even more challenging.

Stephani Sosa, the sister of DWTS pro Ezra Sosa, recently spoke to Us Weekly and discussed some of the finer details regarding her time on The Next Pro. When discussing how her familial connection played into her work, she had this to say:

Sosa's comments are understandable. For 21 years, ABC's Dancing with the Stars has partnered professional dancers with celebrities of varying ages across film, TV, sports, music, and reality programming. Throughout 34 seasons, they’ve shared their personal stories, along with their blood, sweat, and tears, to win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy. It's definitely not an experience for the faint of heart, even if you happen to be related to someone who's been through it multiple times.

On that note, things are ramping up for Season 35, having already announced Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez, Savannah Banana’s Jackson Olson, and Summer House and The Traitors star Ciara Miller. And The Traitors and Love Island star Maura Higgins is getting into shape with DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

There’s still a long way to go in the DWTS: The Next Pro competition, to see if Stephani Sosa will win the ultimate prize, and there’s a lot on the line for her. The dancer was previously a member of the troupe, which consists of professional dancers who perform in elaborate group numbers. But, while Ezra and his partner -- Jordan Chiles -- were Dancing with the Stars Season 34 finalists, Stephani was dropped from Season 34, leading to heartbreak for both Stephani and Ezra. On how that impacted her coming into the spinoff, Stephani said:

The Next Pro is set up so that each week sees a different DWTS pro guest judge come in, perform for the contestants and give them their next dance challenge. After that, the dancers are responsible for their own choreography and must find ways to make themselves shine, even if they’re working in a pair or group.

In the first week of competition, Stephani Sosa received positive feedback from the judges, including guest judge Derek Hough, which is always a great boost for morale. But, as the dancers continue to prove themselves for just one spot on the hit show, they’re going to have to consistently stand out, week after week. Sosa certainly has a chance of winning it all yet, regardless of who she's related to, she's going to earn it on her own.

We'll have to wait and see who the last dancer standing will be, who their celebrity partner might be, and whether the winner will be replacing one of the current DWTS pros. But know that Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. Et on ABC, and episodes are also streamable with a Disney+ subscription.

If the reports are true, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are currently on their honeymoon! After they tied the knot in a big way at Madison Square Garden on July 3, the couple are ready to celebrate being newlyweds. And if they happen to be heading Down Under, Robert Irwin has a wild idea for them!

Back when we didn’t know where Swift and Kelce would say “I do,” the Dancing With The Stars winner had an idea. Irwin offered up the Australia Zoo as a possible wedding venue – him and his family do own the place, after all. We know that the couple didn’t take him up on the offer, but he’s not backing down. As he told Access:

Robert Irwin may not have ever met Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce to our knowledge, but you got to love his commitment to the bit. He clearly loves to hype up his second home of the Australia Zoo, which apparently hosts weddings all the time. As Irwin said before, you can even say “I do” next to stunning views of rhinos and giraffes. At the time, he suggested the celebrities “Hit me up. I got you” if they were interested in the venue. What hospitality! As he added in a new interview:

I mean, I know I would take him up on this – it sounds like a dream honeymoon accommodation! The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is a rather exclusive place to go. Its multi-bedroom cabins cost in the neighborhood of $1.5k (US dollars) per night. An opulent place to stay plus all the views of majestic animals? I’m all in on Irwin’s pitch!

But, what’s the latest on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s alleged honeymoon? Daily Mail spotted the pair emerging from a plane in Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend. This comes after the pair jetted off to Montana right after their wedding. Then they went off to attendNFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster’s wedding in Orange County, California on July 11 before taking flight to Florida. We’d be very surprised if Swift and Kelce’s last stop on the honeymoon was in Palm Beach, but we don’t know much about their itinerary. And hey, who can blame these two for wanting a little privacy on their honeymoon?

The couple just successfully pulled off a huge wedding at New York City’s MSG, which was reportedly often called “intimate” by its many guests. Swift and Kelce allegedly welcomed around 1,000 guests to the ceremony that Adam Sandler officiated. We’ll have to wait and find out where the pair decided to enjoy their post-wedding holiday.

Meanwhile, Robert Irwin is the host of a new Dancing With The Stars competition series called The Next Pro. The premiere came out this week, and new episodes are on ABC and Hulu every Monday until August 31.

Both on and off the small screen, John Stamos has had one foot in the world of music, and one in acting. (His relationship with the Beach Boys is still going strong.) He can sing, play instruments, and has shown off his dance skills a time or two. I mean, he’s even danced and sang on ABC for Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live. But will he ever show those talents off on Dancing with the Stars? Don’t hold your breath.

One might think Stamos would be inspired to join the reality competition due to several of his former Full House and Fuller House co-stars having competed. (As well as other fan-favorite TGIF actors.) But when the Scream Queens vet appeared on an episode of Bobby Bones’ The BobbyCast (which can be listened to in full on Spotify), the subject of DWTS came up, and Stamos made it quite clear that it’s not his destiny.

When asked how often the producers have called to pitch him on appearing, Stamos said it’s a constant thing. In his words:

When Bones pointed out that the actor's kids would probably be impressed with him if he vied for the Mirrorball trophy, Stamos joked that he already does enough for them.

As far as why he's so dead-set against tearing up the Dancing with the Stars stage, it sounds like he's skittish about setting himself up for a potential injury. (Which Full House's Jodie Sweetin has some unfortunate experience with.) He explained:

Stamos was very dismissive at even the thought of going out and risking the good health of his tootsie-wootsies. Which I can certainly understand being a concern for any entertainer who's expected to be on their feet at any given moment. Perhaps if he had any personal stake in proving to the world that he couild do it, it might happen, but such stakes have not yet surfaced within him.

With the topic still fixed on DWTS, Bobby Bones came very close to blowing his guest's brain wide open with the reveal that he'd not only competed (for Season 27), but that he also won out. Which then took another amusing turn as Stamos connected the dots to grasp that was the same season where his Fuller House co-star Juan Pablo Di Pace was part of arguably the most controversial elimination in DWTS’ history, to the point where rules were changed to avoid similarly baffling outcomes in the future.

Once that realization set in, Stamos loudly chastised Bones for surviving until the end despite all the perfect scores Di Pace and pro Cheryl Burke earned. He went off with:

Stamos brought up the fact that some of the Netflix show's stars went to the episode tapings to support Di Pace, but he was never part of that squad. It would appear simply walking into the soundstage would cause him unending harm.

The actor and his pro partner were eliminated ahead of the final four during that season. Previously, Candace Cameron Bure competed in Season 18 in 2014, coming in 3rd place, while Jodie Sweetin cut a few rugs back in 2016 for Season 22, coming in 6th place.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is set to debut on ABC on July 13. I wouldn't expect to see anyone on there that even looks like John Stamos.

When it comes to Dancing with the Stars, it's hard to predict what the dynamics will be like between paired up competitors. On the one hand celebrities who compete on the show can have excellent rapport with the pros their matched up with but, unfortunately, some stars don't have the most positive experiences. For Jana Kramer, her stint on DWTS wasn't particularly great, as she recently recalled. Not only that, but she also attributed that less-than-positive time in her life to pro Gleb Savchenko.

The One Tree Hill alum competed on Season 23 of DWTS in 2013 and was partnered with Savchenko. For context, that was Savchenko’s first season as a regular pro since initially serving as a professional dancer in Season 16. Ultimately, the pair came in fourth place but, ahead of making the finals, Kramer apparently almost quit. While speaking on her Whine Down podcast with fellow DWTS vet and Mirrorball champion Hannah Brown, Kramer recalled a particular moment that nearly caused her to reach a breaking point:

In hindsight, it's very interesting to hear that Kramer nearly quit DWTS because Savchenko was being too hard on her. On screen, the two seemed to have a lot of chemistry, and their success in the competition spoke for itself.

However, it’s not so surprising that the work got really tough, because Dancing with the Stars is generally intense. Everyone is has to put in a lot of work and rehearse almost 24/7. In short, during a given day, competitors eat, sleep, dance and then repeat that process the next day. Even though Kramer wanted to be done with the show, she could also understand where her partner was coming from, as she explained:

Many DWTS alums have discussed just how challenging the show can be. Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel had the bruises to prove it when she competed last season. So Kramer's comments do track with what's been said about the experience. While her time on the long-running competition show may not have been all that fun, it sounds like she doesn't hold any true ill will towards Savchenko or the show as a whole. With that, I wonder if she'd ever consider competing again.

As for DWTS as a whole, the series is set to return to the 2026 TV schedule this fall, at which point it will notch its 35th season. So far, a few celebrity contestants have already been announced, and the latest celebrity roster even includes popular Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo. The pros have not been revealed, so right now, it’s unclear who will be bringing their all to the ballroom and possibly pushing a beloved celebrity to their breaking point. The full cast will likely be announced later this summer.

I definitely don't expect to see Jana Kramer on that roster, but I'd definitely love to see her back on the show at some point. I'd imagine she'd be even sharper this time around, given she'd know what to expect from the competition. For now, though, fans can wait for the next season of Dancing with the Stars to premiere and prepare themselves by streaming recent seasons with a Disney+ subscription.

I was overjoyed when I learned that Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez would be dancing around the ballroom when Dancing with the Stars returns on the 2026 TV schedule. However, what made it even better was how hyped the pros were about this announcement. They were so excited, in fact, that a few of them are already trying to call dibs on Jimmy Kimmel’s beloved sidekick.

So far, the Season 35 DWTS cast will include Maura Higgins, who really wants to be partnered with her co-star from The Traitors, Mark Ballas, Summer House’s Ciara Miller and the Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson. Now, Guillermo has joined the mix, and when the show announced his casting on Instagram, a few of the pros were in the comments and making it clear that they want to dance with him:

• Pasha Pashkov: Can you pleeaaasseee be my partner Guillermo?!?🙏😭
• Ezra Sosa: I call dibs 😙👍

Now, in the past, there has been a same-sex partnership on DWTS, as Jojo Siwa and Jenna Johnson danced together during Season 30. Plus, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas went viral for doing an Argentine Tango together on the show back in Season 33. So, it’s not impossible for a pairing made up of a male star and a pro.

However, it does feel unlikely. Plus, there’s one long-time pro who feels like a shoo-in for this, and she also commented on the post. I’m, of course, talking about Emma Slater, who famously had quite the run with Andy Richter last season. Over in the comments on Guillermo’s casting announcement, she wrote:

Emma Slater certainly does know the power of being partnered with a funny man. She and Richter’s hilarious videos went viral week after week, and people were utterly charmed by their dances. While they weren’t the leaders on the scoreboard, they certainly won over America’s hearts, as Conan O’Brien’s longtime sidekick ended up placing seventh in Season 34.

So, yeah, I think Emma Slater would be the perfect partner for the beloved member of Jimmy Kimmel’s crew. I can already picture their fun dances and hilarious TikToks.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. We will most likely find out who Guillermo Rodriguez is partnered with when the rest of the cast is revealed much closer to Dancing with the Stars’ premiere date.

Now, along with the pros who were making their cases in the comments to be paired with Guillermo, many others showed their excitement too. This included Daniella Karagach and Brandon Armstrong, as well as DWTS co-host Julianne Hough:

• Brandon Armstrong: I’m a fangirl 🤷🏽‍♂️
• Daniella Karagach: OH MY GOD🙌🙌🙌🙌
• Julianne Hough: Can’t WAIT to have you on the show Guillermo 🔥🔥🔥

Based on the moves Guillermo showed off when his casting was revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as his hilarious history with that talk show, I think all this excitement is very warranted. He’s bound to be a hoot on DWTS, and I cannot wait to see him “set the world of dance on fire.”

Look at those moves! He’s so ready for this, and I love how excited Jimmy Kimmel is about it too.

Clearly, the pros are also thrilled about this development, which only makes his casting even better. Now, to see who Guillermo gets partnered with and how he performs on Dancing with the Stars, you’ll be able to watch the show this fall either on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.

The hype surrounding Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is growing as its arrival on the 2026 TV schedule gets closer, at least theoretically. A date has not been revealed yet, but it is confirmed to be airing this fall on ABC, with celebrity contestants already being announced, and with a new pro on the way. The Disney-owned network will be airing DWTS: The Next Pro in July, but that new series likely isn't enough to prepare for the insanity, at least according to a Ezar Sosa.

For the first time ever, DWTS is recruiting a new pro via reality comeptition, and The Next Pro will be hosted by Season 34 Mirrorball champ Robert Irwin, with judging from Mark and Shirley Ballas. Fans can expect an intense training and audition process from the 12 hopefuls vying for a single DWTS spot, but that’s only the beginning. While being on the long-runing series is definitely a dream for dancers, it can also be grueling. Sosa, a Season 34 finalist, told Parade just how crazy being a pro truly is, no matter the preparation, saying:

DWTS has had a variety of celebrities grace the ballroom over its 34-season run, and you never know who could be next, or who they will be paired with. A lot of pros start on the troupe, and while that does get them somewhat prepared, especially when they have to step in for a pro, you can’t really truly prepare for what’s to come until you get assigned your celebrity partner. Then it depends on their skill level, how much they really want the mirrorball, and how much they’re willing to work. A reality show to find the next pro can’t exactly prep you for that.

It’s not surprising that Sosa, who became a pro with Season 33, was pretty disappointed with the hand he was dealt with his first partner. They were one of the first couples eliminated, but he managed to make it all the way to the finals last season with Jordan Chiles. So it really just depends on who your celebrity partner is.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare to be a pro, because all of that rehearsing does help. It does sound like the wide variety of celebrity contestants does not help, though, and unfortunately, the pros usually don’t know who they’re paired with until later in the summer. It’s possible some of them start rehearsing long before then to get into shape and back into the groove of things, and the fact that a lot of that can be undone depending on who they’re paired with is pretty insane.

DWTS: The Next Pro will be entertaining to watch, but whoever wins will definitely be in for an even more intense ride. The new series premieres on July 13 on ABC, with Season 35 premiering this fall. Fans can catch up on DWTS with recent seasons streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

Dancing With the Stars' Season 35 debut may still be few months away, but it’s never too early to start rehearsing. (The celebs, not viewers.) The upcoming season already has a few celebrity contestants revealed to be competing in the ballroom later in the 2026 TV schedule, including Traitors and Love Island star Maura Higgins. She is preparing early, and longtime pro Val Chmerkovskiy is the pro already whipping her into shape.

It was previously announced that Higgins would be competing on Season 35 of DWTS, fresh off of The Traitors Season 4, where she was the runner-up to Rob Rausch. Higgins expressed interest in wantingTraitors co-star Mark Ballas as her pro partner, especially given his return to the ballroom last year, but it seems like another pro is filling that slot, at least in the video Higgins shared of herself dancing with Chmerkovskiy. They definitely looked pretty great together, as seen below:

As much fun as it would be to see Ballas and Higgins reunite in the ballroom after their time on The Traitors, just seeing her dance with Chmerkovskiy has me thinking about the potential. However, it hasn’t been confirmed that Chmerkovskiy will be returning to DWTS, and while there hasn’t been any indication he’s leaving the long-running dance competition series, a pro’s return is never guaranteed. Robert Irwin’s new reality show, DWTS: The Next Pro, doesn’t exactly make it better.

Regardless of who Higgins’ partner is, it’s definitely clear that she is going to be a contestant that fans will want to keep an eye on. The full cast for DWTS Season 35, both celebrities and pros, won’t be announced until the fall, likely September, but that doesn’t mean the rehearsals can’t already begin. I’m definitely getting excited for this new season, and it’s clear that Higgins is as well.

Meanwhile, joining Higgins in the ballroom for Season 35 so far includes Summer House and The Traitors star Ciara Miller and Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson. It’s unknown if more contestants will be revealed before the full cast is unveiled, but you never know what could happen. If anything, Higgins isn’t taking any chances and is willing to start rehearsing, even if just for fun, early to secure the Mirrorball.

As for who else could be joining DWTS, the theories and dream casting began a while ago, with both fans and pros throwing names out. Olympic figure skater Alyssa Liu previously shared she has no interest in doing DWTS right now unlike some of her fellow Olympians, while Ballas and other DWTS pros have put a lot of effort in getting The Traitors winner Rob Rausch to come aboard. More and more Traitors stars are doing DWTS, and even though there are already two competing in Season 35, a third one couldn’t hurt.

Fans may just have to wait and see, come fall, who all will be competing and what the pairings will be like. For now, recent seasons of DWTS can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.

We're getting more Dancing With The Stars than usual on the 2026 TV schedule, with DWTS: The Next Pro set to make a summer debut on ABC. While it's exciting to see Robert Irwin, Mark Ballas, and many others crown a new pro for the series, I can't help but wonder if it will ultimately lead to the end of one pro's tenure on the dance competition. Specifically, I'm curious if Jan Ravnik will be back after this. So, Swifties, you might care about this.

Ravnik, as Swifties may remember, was an Eras Tour dancer who landed a spot as a pro on Dancing With the Stars one season ago. Now, with the spinoff's grand prize offering up a guaranteed pro spot on Season 35, I'm thinking Ravnik may be a one-and-done pro as the series quietly ends his run.

Will Jan Ravnik Be Left Out Of Dancing With The Stars' Next Season?

Dancing With The Stars only has so many guaranteed slots in a season for pro dancers, so it's not uncommon for a pro or two to get left out of the fold for a season. Unless the series adds more contestants than last season, DWTS: The Next Pro guarantees that at least one pro who competed last season will not return to the ballroom.

With his partner Jen Affleck, Jan Ravnik managed to make it to Week 7 before elimination, making them the sixth couple eliminated from the series. It wasn't an incredibly impressive showing for the rookie, who also faced criticism from one of DWTS' biggest alumni. So, when it comes to who will compete next season, I worry he could be left out.

Jan Ravnik's Controversy With Dancing With The Stars, Explained

Ravnik was in the crosshairs of former Dancing With The Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who criticized him for his lack of former ballroom training. This led to a passionate debate online about the Eras Tour dancer and his place as a pro on DWTS.

Despite that, Affleck defended Ravnik from all haters on social media, and while he was eliminated, he remained part of the team hosting livestreams on TikTok during the show. Perhaps he could return to do that in Dancing With The Stars Season 35, as the official account recently dubbed him the "TikTok Live King."

This is all speculation, which is to say there's also a chance that Jan Ravnik returns for Dancing With The Stars Season 35, and it's another pro dancer that is left out of the mix. I mean, Mark Ballas only competes every once in a while, so maybe he won't be back. Plus, with pros taking on other opportunities or dealing with things in their personal lives, there's always a chance that at least one of them could bow out before the teams are even announced. We'll just have to wait and see.

Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro is coming to ABC, and it will be available with a Disney+ subscription beginning July 13th. I'll be watching to see who our new pro will be and for any hints about who they may replace ahead of Season 35.

Well, it's official, Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson are engaged...again. The pair, who got together during Season 28 of The Bachelor and have been together ever since, just announced that they've decided to tie the knot (even though they also did that at the end of Joey's season in 2024). However, now they've made the choice in their own time and on their own terms. So, naturally, Bachelor Nation (and the Dancing with the Stars fam) are celebrating the happy couple.

Ever since Joey's season ended, he and Kelsey have been Bachelor couple goals, seeing as they're one of the pairs from the show who are still together. Now, they've reaffirmed their commitment to each other, as they noted in a joint Instagram post:

Well, this is the sweetest thing ever. In the post, Graziadei explained that doing this again meant they were taking their first proposal and making it something "fully [their] own."

This comes a little over two years after we watched Kelsey and Joey get engaged on ABC or with a Hulu subscription. Over the years, they've stayed a favorite among Bachelor Nation, and that became abundantly clear after taking one look at the comments section on their post. Here are some of the wonderful messages left by those who have worked in the Bachelor franchise:

• SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP 🥹💍😭🌹 congrats you two!!!! -Bachelor Nation
• So so cute!! I love the green in that ring! -Ashley Iaconetti
• Awww congrats you guys!! -Serena Pitt
• Wait love this so much! Congrats guys! -Blake Horstmann
• Congrats again!! My favorite rom com 🥹🥹🖤 -Andrew Spencer
• I feel so lucky I got to see this from day 1 🥹🥹 -Lexi Young
• Pure -Zac Clark

However, Bachelor Nation wasn't the only group of reality stars congratulating the couple. Among the comments were also a handful of Dancing with the Stars regulars. This included Graziadei's partner Jenna Johnson, and more. Take a look:

• Sobbingggg!!! Sooo happy for you two 💞 -Jenna Johnson
• Congrats!! -Alan Bersten
• Yayyyyy love your love ❤️ -Julianne Hough
• Crying. Screaming. Love our 4th Maher sister!! -House of Maher
• Congratulations!!!!! -Pasha Pashkov

Remember, Joey won Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription) with Jenna Johnson. He then went on to host the Dancing with the Stars Podcast, which started during Season 34. So, seeing Jenna, more pros like Alan Bersten and Pasha Pashkov, and co-host Julianne Hough commenting is the sweetest thing. Really, it feels very fitting that his DWTS fam would show some love toward him and Kelsey alongside Bachelor Nation.

All around, this is such a sweet and joyful occasion for the beloved couple. Honestly, my heart is so happy knowing they got to have this lovely private engagement. I have to imagine going through The Bachelor is a fast and unique experience, and getting engaged at the end can feel like a lot. So, the fact that Joey and Kelsey took a few years to be a couple, and then got engaged again on their own time, is very thoughtful and sweet.

Now, when will the wedding bells ring? That's unclear. However, it is clear that these Bachelor stars (still) "cannot wait" to call each other husband and wife.

Dancing with the Stars is certainly known for recruiting a myriad of public figures from different disciplines to join seasons. Among those typically chosen to take part in the competition for the Mirrorball Trophy are athletes. However, I wasn't expecting to hear that a member of the Savannah Bananas would be in the ballroom when DWTS returns for its 35th season amid the 2026 TV schedule. And the star in question is baseball player and influencer Jackson Olson!

This confirmation comes after it recent rumors saying that the Olson might be joining the show, and the news was met with a lot of excitement. Check out the announcement:

The confirmation comes days after a video post from Olson on Instagram. In the clip, there's a caption that poses the question of when Olson will finally "share the secret" he's been keeping. As can be seen in the post below, the media personality simply dances in response to that query:

I never would've thought about someone from the Banana Ball Championship League competing on Dancing with the Stars, but it makes total sense. The Savannah Bananas and other Banana Ball teams are a hot commodity in the world of sports right now, with games selling out nationwide.

Not only that, but the league has a deal where those with a Disney+ subscription can watch select Banana Ball games during its season. Having Olson on DWTS could create some real brand synergy, which the long-running competition show (and the House of Mouse as a whole) seems to like doing. To that point, stars from The Bachelor and Disney Channel have also competed on the program over the years.

Jackson Olson's latest Instagram post may not have raised many eyebrows about his DWTS involvement, especially considering that Savannah Bananas players are known for dancing on the field. What made it more suspicious, however, was a recent comment from judge Derek Hough, who reacted to this caption from the player on Instagram weeks ago:

Hough replied with the eyeballs emoji, which felt suspicious, considering Olson also used it while discussing the "couple of ways" his life may change. Was the intention to put people on the trail of DWTS? It's uncertain whether it was or not, but people seemed to think that's on the table. And it turns out, it was.

Only a few other celebrities are officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35 right now. Reality star Maura Higgins is one of them, after (literally) securing a bag after Rob Rausch fooled her on The Traitors.

DWTS will also welcome Ciara Miller, known for her role on Summer House and for her appearance on The Traitors. Also, there are rumblings of Olympic athletes being thrown into the mix, especially since pro Rylee Arnold collaborated with figure skaters during the winter games. However, gold medalist Alyssa Liu doesn't seem interested in competing at this time, but who knows if she might change her mind!

Fans can also look forward to a spinoff this summer, which will award one professional dancer the chance to be a DWTS pro on the upcoming season. There are fun times ahead for those looking forward to the ABC series, and I'm so excited that it will include a Savannah Banana busting a move in the ballroom instead of the baseball field.

Dancing with the Stars will return to ABC and Disney+ during Fall 2026 (and will be taking High Potential's time slot, no less). I'm eager to learn the full cast as well as which pros are going to be featured in this upcoming season!

Usually when a TV network unveils its Fall TV lineup, I can find reasons to celebrate, even if I’m not extremely invested in all the slotted-out shows. But ABC’s plan for the 2026 TV schedule has left me as gutted as an Upfronts-related schedule can possibly gut anyone. Because High Potential is missing! Dun-dun-dunnnn!!

ABC only recently finished confirming its on-the-bubble drama and comedy renewals, giving Scott Speedman’s RJ Decker a second season a few days prior to the Upfronts. But High Potential was renewed for Season 3 back in March, so there were some expectations about when we might see the aftermath of that shocking Season 2 finale that left Cpt. Wagner bleeding out on Morgan’s lap. Namely, that it’d be in the fall along with most of the other broadcast premieres.

But no, this is what the network showed off for Fall 2026. If you’ll notice, High Potential’s Tuesday-night time slot has been filled by Dancing with the Stars, of all the shows. And I bet Kaitlin Olson won’t even be involved. (Not that anyone would expect her to be, but I’m bothered, dangit!)

I get that there are only so many hours of primetime to get through, and that having a partnership with the NFL sucks up three of those weekly hours. But flipping Shark Tank to Wednesdays feels strange, and doesn't it seem like Dancing with the Stars' next season can just hold off until the NFL's season has wrapped? I guess it's been a while since the competition series utilized a midseason start, but stillll. If High Potential has to be gone, I'd rather have something similar in its place, not an entirely different concept.

When Will High Potential Season 3 Premiere, And Why Was It Delayed?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, fully concrete answers to either of those questions are unavailable. However, ABC did confirm in its Fall TV press release that High Potential is one of many shows (including the recently ordered spinoff The Rookie: North) that will be debuting new seasons in 2027. My hopeful assumption is that Morgan's LAPD cases will resume progress on whatever the first applicable date will be, but it's technically possible that the start date could come as late as April or May of next year.

As far as the reasoning goes, that's also unknown. But if I were a betting man, and if I actually had more than just dust-filled wishes to bet, I'd wager that it's to give the new showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman more time to settle in and make sure they're spearheading things in the best direction possible. Prior showrunner Todd Harthan stepped down from that position early in 2026 as Season 2 was airing, so that he could help shepard the live-action Eragon series for Disney+.

The Zuckerman siblings were only announced as the new show bosses a week before the Upfronts, so it's very possible that everyone involved decided it bet to hold off on producing new episodes for that reason.

Another possible option? Kaitlin Olson's burgeoning career. She's been trading time between High Potential and seasons of It's Always Sunny (not to mention Hacks), and isn't slowing down. So perhaps spending a few more months away from High Potential is meant to open her schedule up for another role or two.

Whether it's all of the above reasons, or none of them, I'm still not very pleased that we'll be going at least another 7 or 8 months without a follow-up on Lucia behind bars, or on whether or not Wagner's dad was aware of what would happen to his son.

For now, the first two seasons of High Potential can be streamed via Hulu subscription or Disney+ subscription.

Dancing With The Stars is returning to the 2026 TV schedule in a big way, with Season 35 bringing a trending reality star to the ballroom. Love Island UK's Maura Higgins debuted in front of an American audience on the latest season of The Traitors, so it's only fitting she'd want former co-star Mark Ballas as her pro for the season.

Ballas was the first DWTS pro to appear on The Traitors, and Higgins' first choice as her pro when Season 35 kicks off in the Fall. Bustle learned as much when talking to her about her casting, as one of the first celebrities announced:

Mark would be perfect, as he was duped along with the rest of The Traitors cast after Rob Rausch successfully won the game as a Traitor from the very start. Maura was right next to him at the end, and successfully managed to guilt him into buying her an expensive Birkin bag after lying to her so many times.

While I can't remember any standout moments between Mark Ballas and Maura Higgins on The Traitors, the latter confirmed they had a close relationship during the game. Maybe not as close as Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski were, but listening to Higgins, they weren't that far off:

Maura was notable on The Traitors for making it all the way to the final, despite never having seen a single episode of the series. Of course, the only people who often do that in the Peacock series are either people who are really good at manipulation, or have no clue what's going on, and I'll just leave the reader to draw their own conclusions as to which category I think she fell in.

When asked if having Mark Ballas as a partner on Dancing With The Stars would give her an advantage over other competitors, Maura Higgins didn't think so. She said she'll still have to figure out how to do the hardest part of the show, learn how to dance:

Higgins shouldn't sweat that part of the competition too much, as Andy Richter proved last season, dancing is secondary to being liked by the audience. Being popular can go a long way on Dancing With The Stars, though there does come a point where even the popular stars have to get some good scores to survive.

As far as partners go, however, Mark Ballas is a great choice. He's won DWTS three times and been in the finals many other times. His last win was in Season 31, in which he and partner Charli D'Amelio practically waltzed home with the trophy all season. We'll see who Maura Higgins ultimately ends up with, but I have a feeling she's going to get Mark.

Catch Higgins and Ciara Miller on Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars when it premieres on ABC and Disney+ in the fall. I can't wait to see what other celebrities are announced, and which pros get paired with them.

Things have been pretty tumultuous for Taylor Frankie Paul lately, with ABC pulling her season of The Bachelorette from the 2026 TV schedule after a viral video showed some of the events that led to her 2023 arrest. Paul’s other reality show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, was also affected when production of Season 5 was halted due to new claims of domestic violence between her and baby daddy Dakota Mortensen. Now, rumors suggest a third series under the Disney umbrella is being roped in.

Even as Taylor Frankie Paul learned she won’t be charged with domestic violence, Dancing with the Stars may still be scrambling, if a rumor submitted to the anonymous gossip site DeuxMoi is to be believed. The MomTok leader was allegedly going to appear on the upcoming Season 35. The message, shared by DeuxMoi’s Instagram reads:

There’s a lot to break down there, starting with the fact that Dancing with the Stars had allegedly planned on casting Taylor Frankie Paul for next season. This is totally believable, given DWTS’ history of featuring The Bachelor franchise leads, as well as two of TFP’s fellow The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars — Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck — appearing on Season 34.

According to the source, Tayshia Adams is being eyed to replace her, which seems like an interesting choice. Adams recently returned to the franchise for the first time in five years — attending The Bachelorette reunion ahead of Taylor Frankie Paul’s doomed season and serving as a judge on HGTV’s Bachelor Mansion Takeover.

She originally appeared on Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor in 2020, replaced Clare Crawley as the lead of The Bachelorette Season 16, and then co-hosted Seasons 17 and 18 with Kaitlyn Bristowe. We’ll have to see if she will, indeed, hit the dance floor.

As those details allegedly get worked out, the gossip item suggests Love Island stars and The Traitors favorites Rob Rausch and Maura Higgins will be announced as two of the celebs going on DWTS. That’s definitely possible, since we already know Mark Ballas has been working to get the snake-wrangler to join the show, and I can’t wait to see if he’d end up partnered with Emma Slater after her A+ reaction to his NSFW audiobook.

It’s wild to think that the Taylor Frankie Paul brouhaha has affected not just The Bachelor franchise, but The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and possibly Dancing with the Stars as well. You can check out all the drama that led up to Paul leaving to film The Bachelorette on Season 4 of Mormon Wives, which is streaming with a Hulu subscription.

Dancing with the Stars has been known to feature its fair share of romances and showmances, but we don’t always get as much tea as we have from Season 33 couple Brooks Nader and her former pro partner Gleb Savchenko. After Nader accused the dancer of cheating on her, he shared some pretty explicit claims of his own about why the relationship didn’t last.

Things moved quickly for Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko on Dancing with the Stars, with Nader admitting they started sleeping together on “day one.” The relationship ended dramatically less than a year later after the model/influencer accused the dancer of cheating, but Savchenko had his own version of events when it came to the relationship’s downfall. On the YouTube show Unwell Winter Games, he opened up to Dakota Mortensen about Nader, saying:

Gleb Savchenko and the baby daddy of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul were commiserating over their failed relationships and “bad guy” reputations when the DWTS pro accused Brooks Nader of chipping his tooth during one of their trysts. He said:

The couple dated for about seven months, meeting in September 2024 after being paired on DWTS Season 33. They broke up briefly after their elimination in October but confirmed they were back together just weeks later.

The relationship ended for good in April 2025, when the premiere of Brooks Nader’s reality show, Love Thy Nader, showed her going through Gleb Savchenko’s phone and apparently finding proof that he’d cheated. The dancer has refuted those claims from the beginning, explaining on Winter Games:

During the two-episode premiere of Love Thy Nader, Brooks and her three sisters decided to go through the DWTS pro’s phone after he accidentally left it in New York City. She claimed she found “like, a million girls,” including a contact who appeared to have had a threesome with her boyfriend in Joshua Tree not long before.

Whatever the reason for the fizzled relationship, the two have since gone their separate ways. Gleb Savchenko didn’t return to Dancing with the Stars for Season 34 but can be found on Unwell Winter Games on YouTube. Brooks Nader, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model, has taken her red swimsuit to the next level as one of the stars of the upcoming Baywatch reboot. Keep your eye on the 2026 TV schedule for a premiere date.

Rob Rausch has been the talk of the 2026 TV schedule, thanks to his dominant run on The Traitors. However, now that that’s over, he’s finding new work and making headlines for it, as he recorded an audiobook for Quinn (you know, the app known for audio erotica). So, as that project was released, Dancing with the Stars’ Emma Slater and Ezra Sosa listened to a clip of it, and their reactions are truly priceless.

In an eleven-second video, the DWTS pros reacted to Rausch saying things like “fuck, you’re so beautiful it’s unreal.” It’s an incredibly sexual audio clip, and while Slater seemed to be turning red, Sosa can be seen with his jaw on the floor. Honestly, their reactions are so relatable. Take a look:

Now, if you don’t know what Quinn is, hearing this audio would be jarring. I know this short clip left me blushing.

However, that’s likely the goal. Quinn is an audio erotica app that brings in very famous folks to record spicy, NSFW and romantic audiobooks. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams did one not long after tons of people watched Heated Rivalry with an HBO Max subscription. Meanwhile, Tyriq Withers recorded one that was released around the same time as his movie Reminders of Him. The list also includes actors like The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Christopher Briney and Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower. Now, Rob Rausch has been added to it.

His story is called “The Snake Handler,” and in it he plays Alex, “a guarded, tattooed snake handler (sound familiar?) who lives alone.” According to a post from Quinn and Bustle, Rausch is telling Alex’s story as he “remembers the night a big storm blew Paige into his life.” And, obviously, things get spicy, as that short audio clip proved.

Like Slater and Sosa, people in the comments were not prepared for the NSFW audiobook from Rausch. Here are some of their thoughts:

• A volume warning would’ve been nice Emma -meech
• HELP I WASNT READY FOR THE AUDIO 😭 -Maine Kaye
• Manifesting him as your partner next season Emma -Shannon
• What in the actual where can I buy this is this ???? -Templestok
• EMMA THE CAPTION I JUST LOL -hannah

Yeah, with that last comment about the caption, we do indeed need to take a minute for that. Slater is dating fellow Dancing with the Stars pro Alan Bersten. So, as she posted this video of her reacting to a spicy audiobook, she also wrote:

Well, that sure got me laughing.

Anyways, along with this whole video being incredibly funny and a fantastic reaction to Rob Rausch’s latest career endeavour, it’s also a reminder that I want him on Dancing with the Stars. The pros want The Traitors winner on DWTS too! So, along with this video being funny by itself, it also feels like it's furthering the campaign to get the audiobook narrator into the ballroom.

Only time will tell if that dream becomes a reality. So, for now, Emma Slater and Ezra Sosa will keep dancing, seeing as the Dancing with the Stars tour is happening right now. Meanwhile, I’ll be curious to see what Rob Rausch decides to do next after being part of The Traitors Season 4 cast and recording this audiobook. Clearly, he likes to keep us on our toes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his next project leaves our jaws on the floor just like Slater and Sosa’s were in their reaction video.

Even though Dancing With the Stars Season 35 won’t be coming until later this year on the 2026 TV schedule, fans are continuing to speculate as to who will be competing in the ballroom for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Theories are including both celebrity contestants and pros, as viewers wonder who will be returning and who won’t be, especially now that DWTS is developing a new reality show to find the next pro. Rumors are floating around surrounding potential exits, and Emma Slater is responding.

Slater joined the reality dancing competition for Season 14 in 2012 as a troupe dancer before being promoted to pro for Season 17. She’s gone on to be a fan-favorite, winning Season 24 with former NFL player Rashad Jennings. While it’s unknown who will be returning in the fall, and pros usually don’t know until right before rehearsals start, Slater told her Season 34 partner Andy Richter how long she wants to keep doing the show for, while guesting on his podcast The Three Questions with Andy Richter. As she put it:

Considering Slater has 14 years of Dancing With the Stars under her belt, it’s a relief to know that she has no plans to step away. Of course, that’s only if the producers still like her as well, since it’s never a guarantee a pro will be back the next season, which is frustrating.

Slater remains a fan-favorite, and her partnership with Richter last season was arguably one of the best parts of the show. Not to mention the fact that she and fellow pro Alan Bersten have really cemented their romance. But for the time being, Slater is just going to go with the flow for as long as she can:

That’s the thing that sucks about doing a show like Dancing With the Stars. No matter how much you enjoy it, it’s always possible your last season is going to be your last. It sounds like Slater doesn’t seem too worried, at least for now, and doesn’t have any plans to walk away herself. We won’t know for sure which pros are returning until likely the fall, so it’s just a waiting game. At the very least, Slater knows what she’d want to do if producers decide they don’t want her back on the ballroom:

With the new DWTS spinoff about finding the next pro, it’s hard to predict what this means for the current pros, especially if the show sticks around for future seasons. Fans should be at least somewhat relieved knowing that, for now, Emma Slater isn’t going anywhere and that the rumors of her leaving or retiring are not true. Now we just have to wait and see if she’s truly coming back for Season 35.

The Winter Olympics are over, but gold medalist Alysa Liu is still enjoying her time in the spotlight after going viral for her memorable figure skating performance. While she's seemingly already plotting her next performance on the ice, Hollywood is curious if another primetime appearance on the 2026 TV schedule is on the table via Dancing With The Stars.

Entertainment Tonight caught up with Liu at Vanity Fair's party at the 2026 Oscars, and wanted to know if she'd be willing to join fellow Olympians like Stephen Nedoroscik and many others as part of the ABC dancing series. Liu gave a refreshingly honest answer, even if it wasn't the one that people wanted:

Well, that's a bummer. Alysa Liu's viral performance to Pink Pantheress' "Stateside" caught on as a trend on TikTok, so I think she'd be a shoo-in for a deep run thanks to her surge in popularity. As Andy Richter proved last season, popularity can get you further than talent!

If Liu is off the table, it looks like Dancing With The Stars will have to target other Olympic athletes for its upcoming season. It may already be happening, considering that pro Rylee Arnold posted videos training with men's skiers Ilia Malinin and Danny O’Shea.

DWTS has had dozens of Olympians on the show, and six have won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. It's a shame that Alysa Liu seems against the idea of competing on the show, but if she is serious about remaining in the competitive skating scene, I can see why she wouldn't commit. Every week on that show means another week she's not training or appearing at other tournaments, and with pro figure skaters typically retiring in their mid-20s, the 20-year-old may not have many years of competition left.

Given that, I would rule out her appearing on television years down the road, when the prospect of another gold medal is behind her. I don't blame her for thinking she still has awards to win after seeing how effortlessly she glided around the rink during the Winter Olympics, and I respect that maybe it's not the right time for a Dancing With The Stars appearance.

With that, we're still left wondering exactly who will be a part of Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars, which will premiere after a new spinoff series. The spinoff features professional dancers competing to be the next pro on the upcoming season, so I'm eager to see how it does and whether I'll enjoy it any more than the original show.

We can only wait and see, and prepare for Dancing With The Stars' eventual return to ABC and Disney+ this fall. Here's hoping Season 35's cast can live up to how great Season 34 was, and we get just as deserving a winner as Robert Irwin.

It’s been about three months since Dancing With the Stars Season 34 crowned its Len Goodman Mirrorball champions, and some fans are already looking towards Season 35. It’s still a bit too early for any kind of cast announcements, both celebrity contestants and pros, but that isn’t stopping Mark Ballas and other DWTS pros from campaigning to get The Traitors star Rob Rausch on the ballroom floor.

Rausch is currently competing as one of two final Traitors on Season 4 of the game show, streaming with a Peacock subscription on the 2026 TV schedule. Fans also know the 27-year-old from Love Island USA Season 5, and he’s certainly become a favorite among viewers, even as a Traitor. On The Traitors, his bromance with Ballas has been a highlight of the season, so it’s not surprising that the dancer is pushing to get him to be on DWTS on TikTok after Ezra Sosa and Hailey Bills used the DWTS tour to kickstart the campaign:

During each stop of the DWTS tour, Sosa and Bills hold up a sign during one of their performances, and at one of the shows, they just so happened to be campaigning for Rausch to compete on Dancing With the Stars. Ballas is definitely on board to make it happen, even despite the reality star’s traitorous behavior. However, Rausch may not be willing to give it a try, as he hilariously took to the comments to weigh in on the possibility:

The best part about Dancing With the Stars is seeing the celebrities with no dance experience whatsoever improving each week, making it to the end, and even sometimes nabbing the Mirrorball. While Rausch says he can’t move like that, Ballas begs to differ, replying that he’s seen videos that prove otherwise. Regardless, with just a few weeks of rehearsal, he would probably turn things around. It would definitely be fun to see what he would bring to the ballroom, and whether or not that will ever happen remains to be seen. While he is against it now, he could always change his mind later down the line.

Dancing With the Stars has seen many reality stars gracing the ballroom floor, including some from The Traitors, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if ABC were to eventually eye Rausch or even someone else from Season 4, especially if Ballas returned as a pro. If Rausch were to compete, it’s hard to predict who his partner would be, but it would be nice if he and Ballas were paired up, especially since there has yet to be a male-on-male pairing, but you never know.

More details surrounding Season 35 of DWTS should be announced in the coming months. For now, though, viewers can watch Ballas and Rausch on Season 4 of The Traitors on Peacock, with the finale and reunion special dropping on Thursday, February 26.

Typically, after the Olympics end, I start thinking about which athletes could compete on the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Last season, gymnast Jordan Chiles was paired with Ezra Sosa, and the season before that, gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and rugby player Ilona Maher took the ballroom by storm. Now, I think it's the winter athletes' turn to join the show, and after seeing Rylee Arnold dance with two figure skaters, I know who should be her next partner.

At the moment, the Winter Olympics are airing on the 2026 TV schedule, and you can watch them with a Peacock subscription. However, in the fall, Dancing with the Stars will be back to take over the schedule for its 35th season. It looks like Rylee Arnold might be doing some recruiting for it, too, as she posted the following video on her Instagram from the Milan Cortina games:

As you can see, in this video, Arnold – who has been a pro on DWTS for three seasons – taught some moves to men’s skater Ilia Malinin and pairs skater Danny O’Shea. Both men were part of the gold medal-winning team, and in their respective individual competitions, Malinin came in eighth while O’Shea and his partner, Ellie Kam, came in ninth.

Now that their competitions are over, it would seem these guys are learning some new moves…dance moves, and I could really see both of them excelling on DWTS. However, I do have a clear favorite.

So, I think the obvious choice here is Malinin. He was the talk of the town going into the games; he’s nicknamed the “Quad God,” and while he didn’t go home with the gold, he is an incredibly impressive and well-known skater. With all that in mind, he’d be a good and notable person to bring on to the show.

However, based on Arnold’s practice video, I really want to see her paired with O’Shea on the show. As a pairs skater, he knows how to lift up his partner (literally), and as this clip shows, he can do it on solid ground too. Personally, I think he could make a real run for the title with Arnold!

Plus, it helped that when O’Shea posted his own footage from this interaction, he also included a video of him lifting Arnold up on the ice. Talk about impressive.

Oh, and the pro commented on his post, noting:

Now, the wait is really on, because I have ideas, so hopefully we’ll get some new casting soon. Last year, Alix Earle and Robert Irwin’s involvement on DWTS was announced months earlier than normal. So, it’s possible we’ll get some names in the coming months. However, even if that happens, we likely will not know who they’re paired with until the show kicks off in the fall.

I’m rooting for Rylee Arnold being paired with Danny O’Shea, though, and I actually really hope it happens. I think they’d be contenders, much like the pro was with Nedoroscik a couple of seasons ago. So, yes, I want to see this happen.

We’re just weeks away from The Bachelorette Season 22 premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, and for the first time in the show’s history, the lead is not a contestant from a previous season of The Bachelor, but rather a celebrity from a whole different reality show. I’m looking forward to watching Taylor Frankie Paul from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives work her way through two dozen men, and I really love what her casting might mean for the rest of the dating franchise.

Rumors have started to circulate that other Bachelor Nation series might follow The Bachelorette’s lead by recruiting young singles who are already famous from other reality TV shows. For instance, there’s been some buzz that Robert Irwin, the most recent Dancing with the Stars champion, could lead The Bachelor, and a certain Housewife's hat has been thrown in the ring for The Golden Bachelorette. Let’s break down what each celebrity has said and why this would be great for Bachelor Nation.

I’m Expecting Taylor Frankie Paul To Breathe New Life Into The Bachelorette

I have to admit — I didn’t watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives before Taylor Frankie Paul was announced as the new Bachelorette. However, hearing the buzz and knowing that I was definitely going to be tuning in, I decided to embark on an intense binge of all three seasons (Season 4 premieres March 12 with a Hulu subscription).

That’s got to be one of the main benefits of stunt casting — Bachelor Nation fans who never watched SLOMW will want to get caught up before The Bachelorette, and people who already love the MomTok leader are going to tune in to see her journey on ABC, regardless of if they’ve been fans of the dating show in the past.

Paul’s established fame — and the fact that we’ve seen her go through so much with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen — is going to bring an energy to The Bachelorette we haven’t seen before. So, will The Bachelor follow suit?

Robert Irwin Responds To Rumors About The Bachelor

Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin’s love life got the attention of viewers when he was competing on Dancing with the Stars Season 34, and dating rumors started circulating after he and Season 32 winner Xochitl Gomez were paired for a dance. Gomez later confirmed she was still single, but that didn't stop fans from wanting to see Irwin find love. Rumors began to circulate that the 22-year-old could lead the next season of The Bachelor.

When asked by ET whether he might return to reality TV, Robert Irwin said, “Never say never,” which led to the obvious follow-up regarding whether he’d be interested in being The Bachelor. Irwin teased:

I’m encouraged by this response, and the powers that be at ABC should be trying to lock down this wholesome animal lover, like, yesterday. He’s charming, he’s hot, he’s got an accent — literally, what more do you want?

Is Countess Luann In The Running For The Golden Bachelorette?

Luann de Lesseps, an OG from The Real Housewives of New York, has apparently been on people’s minds to lead The Golden Bachelorette for a while. After Joan Vassos was cast for Season 1, in fact, Andy Cohen voiced his displeasure with the decision, saying Countess Luann would have been “amazing.”

The Bravo host might just be in luck, because back in December, Vassos made it sound like ABC might still have the Countess’ number. Given that the franchise was going in a different direction with Paul on The Bachelorette, Vassos told US Weekly:

Is The Golden Bachelorette something that Luann de Lesseps would be interested in? US Weekly asked her, and the RHONY alum didn’t hesitate, saying:

You heard her!

The Real Housewives franchise falls outside of my reality TV expertise, unfortunately, but I’ve loved getting to know several of them on The Traitors, and just like I binge-watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for Paul, if de Lesseps were going to be The Golden Bachelorette, I’d definitely have to do my homework in that department, as well.

Continuing To Stunt-Cast On The Bachelor Would Only Benefit The Franchise

That goes back to what I said earlier about bringing in new fans from other reality TV shows. We’ve already seen how well this type of cross-promotion works on series like The Traitors. I typically don’t know who half of The Traitors cast members are at the beginning of a season, but that doesn’t affect how much I enjoy the game at all. In fact, I end up seeking out their most iconic reality TV moments, like Dan Gheesling staging his own funeral on Big Brother.

Bachelor Nation alumni have appeared — and largely been successful — on several other reality shows like Dancing with the Stars, The Traitors, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Perfect Match and more. With Paul starring on The Bachelorette, it feels like the franchise might start playing by those rules and winning over new audiences by casting people we already know from other shows.

The partnership between The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives makes a lot of sense, given their Disney connections, and hopefully TFP’s season will be successful enough to encourage ABC to continue down that path. Robert Irwin and Luann de Lesseps are definitely good options to start, and I’d be thrilled if those rumors ended up being true.

For now, though, I know where I’ll be when the guys start exiting the limos to show Taylor Frankie Paul their best TikTok dance moves — tune into The Bachelorette Season 22, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 22, on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.

A new season of Dancing with the Stars has not yet arrived in the 2026 TV schedule, but there's big news all the same: the franchise may be adding a second show to the mix. Truth be told, I didn't even know I would be interested in a spinoff to the ABC dancing show, but after hearing the premise and who is involved, I'm so hyped to see it happen.

Variety reported that Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is likely airing this summer on ABC and for those with a Hulu subscription. It will feature multiple professional dancers competing for a chance to be the show's next pro, whilst also living under one roof. That's an awesome enough premise on its own, but I'm even more excited after hearing the people circling the show.

Robert Irwin Is In Talks To Host, And Some Well Known Pros Will Star As Judges

If Dancing With The Stars Season 34 winner Robert Irwin had plans to take his dancing act on the road, he may have to put that on hold. Word is that the wildlife advocate and Mirrorball Trophy winner is in talks to host the reality show, which will ultimately give the winner a role as a pro in Season 35.

While Irwin is a potential host, the series has reportedly locked in DWTS pro dancer Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley, as judges. Mark is well-known for his dancing prowess to viewers, but fewer may know his mother is a professional known as "The Queen Of Latin" and has been a professional judge on the British version of the series, Strictly Come Dancing, since 2017. There will be a rotating judge or mentor added to the mix, and while no specific names were mentioned, I would assume it'll be a rotation of other DWTS pros, judges, or maybe even other former celebrities who competed.

Why I'm Hyped For This Dancing With The Stars Spinoff

Don't get me wrong, I love when Dancing With The Stars brings on someone like Andy Richter, and we see that evolution of them going from terrible to a more serviceable ballroom dancer. That said, I love the idea of seeing actual ballroom-trained dancers compete against each other, and see people who trained at the highest level knock our socks off with their routines.

Honestly, it was something I wasn't even aware I would be into seeing until I saw Maks Chmerkovskiy criticize Jan Ravnik being brought in as a pro in the latest season. To the untrained eye, I didn't think his dance moves were any different than the other pros performing, but Maks wasn't the only one talking about it.

In news that might be related, obviously, there's going to be a vacant spot this season for a pro dancer, and I do wonder if Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro means we won't see Ravnik return. That's purely speculation, of course, because dancers bounce in and out of this series for various reasons year in and out. It might be someone else sitting out this season while the new pro gets a chance.

Look out for updates on Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro as we get closer to summer, and expect the flagship series to return to ABC this fall. I'm all-in for both, though now wondering if this new pro will have an advantage heading into the season if viewers of the spinoff get to become fans of them and their story.

The 2026 TV schedule has a bit to go before a new season of Dancing With The Stars, but it seems as though recruiting efforts to get celebrities involved are happening year-round. Flavor Flav recently talked about the odds that he'd join the show after his recent judging stint, and added a bit about his next chapter in reality television.

Flav's stint as a guest judge was shaky at best, so one might wonder if he's better suited to be a competitor when the ABC dancing competition returns in the fall. It seems there are producers with the show who feel the same, as the rapper confirmed to People there is interest in him teaming up with a pro:

Could Public Enemy's hype man be in the cast of celebrities who compete in Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars? It seems like anything is possible, especially when it comes to the type of talent we've seen join the show in recent years.

Unfortunately, Flavor Flav doesn't seem too confident in his abilities to cut a rug. Public Enemy may be number one, but when it comes to Flav's ballroom dancing skills, he was pretty blunt in his response to if he had what it took to compete on the show:

We love a self-aware King Swiftie. It's nice to see that Flavor Flav knows his limits, though he could be surprised if he did sign up. It took a lot of work, but Andy Richter was able to have a serviceable run on the show thanks to the love and support of a DWTS audience that wanted to see him try.

I'm confident that Flavor Flav could have a similar run, but it seems he has his sights set elsewhere. Specifically, he seems to be booked ahead of Dancing With The Stars and planning a big television return. So big, in fact, that it's apparently bigger than the reality show he was known for:

He didn't become one of the biggest hype men in hip hop for no reason, and I'm hype to see whatever it is Flavor Flav is working on. I can only speculate, but I do wonder if this reality show is tied to his Taylor Swift fandom. If he were doing some sort of competition show where it was like a battle of Swiftie superfans, I would love to see that!

I also would love to see another new season of Dancing With The Stars, but I won't be streaming the new season with a Disney+ subscription until the fall season. If Flavor Flav is not in the mix of new celebrities competing, I can't wait to see who will be selected who can possibly measure up to the quality of last season's cast.

I'll be excited to see what Dancing With The Stars and Flavor Flav have planned when the time comes. Until then, we'll always have that moment the two crossed paths, and what a night that was to witness.

Dancing With the Stars may be known for bringing fan-favorite celebrities to the ballroom, but the long-running reality show is also known for something else. The series has seen quite a few relationships over the years between the cast and even celebrity contestants. In the current cast of pros, there are multiple married couples as well. Now, a former pro is explaining why that happens.

DWTS has played matchmaker for a lot of pros and celebrities over the years. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn’t. A lot of pros have also dated the same people, but there’s a very good reason why. Former pro, Sharna Burgess, who has experienced first-hand what happens when you cozy up to someone else on the show, opened up about the challenges of being on Dancing With the Stars on the podcast Between Us Moms, and how consuming it can be:

You can see that support on full display too, when pros get married or have kids, their DWTS fam celebrates. It's also clear through their social media that they're really tight as well. So, the fact that some of them have fallen in love isn't surprising.

Considering these pros spend a lot of the year together between the show and tour, it makes sense that feelings would ultimately brew between some of them. Even with DWTS only doing one season a year with the tour, the romance hasn’t stopped. As recently as last year, two more pros got together, with Alan Bersten and Emma Slater confirming their relationship.

Along with them, there are multiple married couples on the cast of pros, including Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov, as well as Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy.

Plus, if I had a nickel every time DWTS had a showmance, whether fake or real, I’d be rich. But that’s one of the reasons why I love the show. You never know who could end up with whom, you never know what rumors will come about, and you never know if a relationship, whether romantic or platonic, will stick after the season ends.

One would think that all this romance between the cast would make things awkward, but all the pros seem to be close, regardless of breakups and makeups, and who’s with whom. Plus, considering how time-consuming working on this show is, it does make sense why they all end up in relationships with each other.

It’s no secret that for Candace Cameron Bure, faith comes first. It’s something that’s helped to inspire career decisions, like her move to Great American Family from Hallmark, and one that she admits isn’t always easy in the entertainment industry. In fact, it seems even she struggled a bit to stay grounded back when she competed on Dancing with the Stars, and she opened up about one thing that helped her through it.

On the latest episode of The Candace Cameron Bure podcast, the Full House veteran continued her series with The Bachelor star Madison Prewett, where they bonded over their reality TV experiences. While trying to win love on The Bachelor is admittedly different from trying to win a dance show, they were in agreement about the competitive instinct kicking in. Prewett referenced a Bible verse that seemed especially poignant, saying:

Candace Cameron Bure agreed wholeheartedly, because of course it’s natural to want people to like you and to be successful at whatever it is you’re trying to do. I can definitely see how not caring about the opinion and acceptance of others would be difficult; it seems like reality TV requires the exact opposite.

The same Bible verse was apparently also a source of comfort for Candace Cameron Bure during Season 18 of DWTS (when she, incidentally, came in third place with pro partner and Traitors Season 4 cast member Mark Ballas). Bure said:

The actress didn’t mention it in this conversation, but she more recently competed on The Masked Singer after being inspired by her Full House co-star Bob Saget’s appearance. She was eliminated after her first performance and has admitted that was a blow to her ego. I can only imagine this verse came up around that time, too.

This discussion about how their reality TV experiences challenged their focus on faith is just the latest topic tackled by Candace Cameron Bure and Madison Prewett. They’ve previously shared strong feelings about how Christians are portrayed in the media, and Prewett has spoken a lot about the trauma she experienced on The Bachelor, including the witchy nickname producers gave themselves.

While trying to stay grounded while competing on television may have been challenging, that’s probably nothing in comparison to the criticism they’ve faced on social media — and in Madison Prewett’s case, from Peter Weber’s mother. For that, their faith in God has 100% helped them not feel the need to fight back in the comments.

I'm looking forward to seeing what conversations continue to pop up for these two TV stars.

Dancing with the Stars is arguably one of the best reality TV shows in existence, so much so that it recently celebrated its 20^th birthday during the exciting Season 34. All in all, the show doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. While some viewers may tune in for the celebrity contestants, the series' pros have arguably been the heart and soul of DWTS. Still, between the dance rehearsals, live shows and the tour, there's discourse surrounding how much dancers make. So what’s what when it comes to their checks?

What’s The Usual Salary For A DWTS Pro?

According to sources who spoke with Us Weekly, professional dancers on DWTS start out at only $1,200, with that sum increasing with each episode. In other words, the longer they’re on the show, the more they get paid, with veteran pros making around $5,000 an episode. However, sometimes, after a pro’s first or second season, they are bumped down to troupe if production feels they need to improve more. This includes former pro and Season 25 winner Lindsay Arnold, who was promoted to pro for Season 16 and was back on troupe for Seasons 17 through 20.

Unfortunately, with a demotion comes a pay cut and, as Arnold said on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast in 2022, her check was cut “more than in half.” She revealed that while she was on DWTS, she was able to make a living since the show ran two seasons a year. So “that doubled [her] salary every year.” With the way everything is organized now, though, it's different, especially since there’s never a guarantee a person will be asked back. Arnold explained:

On the other hand, current pro and two-time Mirrorball champ Jenna Johnson revealed on Kelly Stafford’s The Morning After podcast last year that pros are “guaranteed until a certain number of weeks.” However, there are different contracts, so Johnson couldn’t speak for everybody. Even when a pro is eliminated, they remain on the show until the end of the season, taking part in other dances as if they were an additional troupe member and still choreographing from time to time. Yet what happens when they do make it all the way?

How Much Do DWTS Pros Make If They Win The Mirrorball?

As for the winners, Johnson said in the same interview that, essentially, pros just get the Mirrorball Trophy. Apparently, there's no special bonus if they win. But, ahead of that, the pros are paid throughout the entire season, and they actually get a bonus for making it to the finale. That's still pretty special, and the pros and celebrity contestants are happy regardless if they win:

Considering all the prep that goes into Dancing with the Stars, which starts weeks before the season even kicks off due to rehearsals, it's surprising to hear there isn’t an additional bonus for the winners. Especially since there is only one season per year now, rather than two like the old days. While a lot of the pros also embark on the tours, one of which is currently happening, their salaries for that have not been disclosed. At the very least, it's fair to say the seasoned dancers remain quite busy in the pursuit of compensation.