Grab your sequins and warm up your quads — “Dancing With the Stars” just dropped its full Season 35 lineup, and it might be one of the most eclectic casts the ballroom has seen in years. From an Emmy-nominated actress to an Olympic gold medalist, a celebrity chef to a Paralympic champion, this season is shaping up to be a genuine mixed bag of star power. Here’s everything announced so far.
The Big Reveal
ABC unveiled the complete Season 35 cast and their professional dancer pairings live on “Good Morning America” on September 2, just ahead of the show’s two-night premiere kicking off September 15 on both ABC and Disney+. This marks the fourth consecutive season the show has aired live and simultaneously across both platforms, continuing DWTS’s push to meet audiences wherever they’re watching.
Alfonso Ribeiro returns to host, with Julianne Hough back as co-host for her fourth season in that role. At the judges’ table, the trio of Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli are all returning, giving fans the continuity they’ve come to expect from the panel.
Who’s Actually Competing
The full roster reads like a “who’s who” across entertainment, sports, and reality TV. Confirmed contestants include actress Julia Stiles, singer Taylor Hanson, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Amber Glenn, actress Jenna Dewan, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, former “Bachelorette” runner-up Tyler Cameron, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum Tatyana Ali, and model Sarah Jane Nader.
The lineup also includes Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech, who took home two golds at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and comedian and social media personality Connor Wood, known online by his handle Fibula, who co-hosts a popular podcast with fellow creator Brooke Averick. Rounding out the group are “Love Island” and “The Traitors” star Maura Higgins, reality personality Ciara Miller, actor Jackson Olson, and comedian Guillermo Rodriguez.
A few pairings are already generating buzz. Nader will be partnered with Hailey Bills, marking only the third same-sex pairing in the show’s history. Meanwhile, actor Harry Shum Jr. has been paired with longtime pro Jenna Johnson, and Rodriguez has landed one of the season’s most talked-about partnerships.
A Pregnant Pro Making History
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing storyline heading into the season doesn’t involve a celebrity contestant at all — it involves a pro. Witney Carson, who will be partnered with Rodriguez this season, is pregnant and set to become the first professional dancer in the show’s history to compete while expecting. Carson addressed the milestone directly, explaining that she didn’t want to choose between her love of the show and growing her family, and felt strongly about doing both.
Interestingly, Carson isn’t the only pro balancing pregnancy with the ballroom this year. Fellow professional dancer Daniella Karagach discovered she was expecting around the same time as Carson, back during Season 31, giving this moment an extra layer of shared history behind the scenes.
Following a Tough Act
This new cast has big shoes to fill. Season 34 delivered one of the more memorable finales in recent DWTS history, with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, edging out influencer Alix Earle and gymnast Jordan Chiles in a tightly contested final round. Irwin’s win, paired with Witney Carson as his professional partner, cemented both of their places in the show’s growing highlight reel — and gave Season 35 a genuinely tough act to follow.
What to Expect This Season
With a cast spanning music, sports, comedy, film, and reality TV, Season 35 looks built for exactly the kind of unpredictable, crowd-pleasing chaos that’s kept DWTS on air for two decades. Whether it’s Taylor Hanson trading his guitar for a foxtrot, Giada De Laurentiis swapping her kitchen for the ballroom floor, or Amber Glenn attempting to translate Olympic-level ice precision onto a hardwood stage, there’s no shortage of storylines to root for heading into the two-night premiere.
Mark your calendars: the mirrorballs start spinning September 15, live on ABC and streaming on Disney+.
