Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 1
Dancing with the Stars Sets Sept. 15 Season 35 Premiere as Hosts and 3 Judges Return
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 1

Dancing with the Stars Sets Sept. 15 Season 35 Premiere as Hosts and 3 Judges Return

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 1

Summary

  • Season 35 will open with back-to-back episodes on Sept. 15 and 16, with ABC confirming the premiere schedule a day before unveiling the full celebrity cast.
  • Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are returning as hosts, while Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli will again make up the judges' panel.
  • Derek Hough told Good Morning America the season will keep the show's familiar format but arrive with new momentum and an "incredible" cast.
  • Four celebrities have been announced so far—Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez—with Rodriguez already paired with reigning champion pro Witney Carson.
  • The new season airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, then streams the next day on Hulu, as the franchise leans on a largely unchanged on-air team.

Insights

Will a returning veteran or a brand-new spinoff champion ultimately dominate the dance floor this season?
How will Witney Carson safely pull off high-stakes ballroom choreography while pregnant with her third child?
Could stricter judging and new technical challenges from a recent spinoff completely upend the familiar format?