By Contributor,Monica Mercuri
Copyright forbes
“Dancing With the Stars” Season 33 cast: L to R: Whitney Leavitt, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin
Courtesy of Disney
The wait is over: Dancing With the Stars is back, and the competition for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy finally begins tonight, Sept. 16. Here’s everything to know about the star-studded cast, from celebrities to returning and new pros.
Hosted by Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro and DWTS vet Julianna Hough, the show pairs celebrities with trained ballroom dancers to perform themed choreographed dance routines. The routines are they judged by a panel of experts, which include longtime judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, and former pro Derek Hough.
ForbesWhat Time Does ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 34 Premiere? How To Watch TonightBy Monica Mercuri
Last year’s finale saw The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson win the Mirrorball over Danny Amendola and Witney Carson, Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten and Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold. The finale was one of the most-watched in the show’s history, with nearly 8 million viewers tuning in, according to Variety.
So, who will take home the Mirrorball at the end of Season 34? Any of the below celebrity and pro dancers are up for the challenge. ABC announced the full cast on Good Morning America in early September, which includes an Olympic gymnast, reality TV stars, beloved actors and actresses, a former NBA player, comedians and more.
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Meet The Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Cast
GOOD MORNING AMERICA – 9/3/25 – Show coverage of “Good Morning America” on 9/3/25 on ABC. (ABC/Paula Lobo) SEASON 34 CAST, JUDGES AND DANCERS OF DWTS
Below, check out the full list of the celebrity and professional dancers hitting the ballroom in DWTS Season 34.
Robert Irwin And Witney Carson
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Robert Irwin, wildlife conservationist and son of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, is paired with pro dancer Witney Carson for Season 34. His older sister, Bindi, won Dancing With the Stars in Season 21 with her partner, Derek Hough.
“Dancing with the Stars scares me more than anything else I’ve ever done! I’ve never attempted anything close to dancing. I guess you could say that avoiding a crocodile trying to eat you requires footwork, but it’s different,” the 21-year-old Aussie told People.
Carson has one Mirrorball trophy, which she won in 2014 with Alfonso Ribeiro, who now serves as co-host of the dance competition.
Alix Earle And Val Chmerkovskiy
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Alix Earle and Valentin Chmerkovskiy. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Social media sensation Alix Earle is trading TikTok for the ballroom. The influencer gained popularity by making “get ready with me” videos on TikTok. She then launched the podcast “*Hot Mess with Alix Earle,”* where she shares her life both in front of and behind the camera, and interviews special guests.
“It feels like I’m at a big dance camp,” she told E! News about her experience on DWTS so far. “It’s been so much fun. I’m giddy every day. I wake up and I’m excited to get there, excited to learn more.”
Earle is paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy, who has three Mirrorball trophies under his belt. His first win was in Season 20 with Rumer Willis, followed by Season 23 with Laurie Hernandez, and most recently in Season 32 with Xochitl Gomez.
Whitney Leavitt And Mark Ballas
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Two stars from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are competing in DWTS Season 34. One is Utah native Whitney Leavitt, who gained popularity as part of #MomTok, a group of Mormon mothers who create fun and inspirational content on TikTok.
Leavitt, a former dancer, told People that ballroom is different from what she has done before. “Yeah, I definitely feel ready, but I’ve never been trained in ballrooms, so that’s like a completely different realm that I’ve never touched, but I feel like some of the dance skills that I like grew up with, like they’re coming back, you know, there’s a little bit of it in the ballroom stuff.”
She’s partnered with DWTS legend Mark Ballas, who came out of retirement specifically for this season after winning the Mirrorball trophy in Season 31 with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio.
“When I saw that it was Mark, like jaw wide open,” Leavitt revealed. “In my mind, I was like, play it cool, play it cool, play it cool. But internally, I was like freaking out.”
Jen Affleck And Jan Ravnik
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Jennifer Affleck and Jan Ravnik. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
The second contestant from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is Jen Affleck, another #MomTok influencer who shares videos about her life while challenging traditional Mormon norms. She’s competing on the show just three months after giving birth and suffering from prenatal depression.
“I’m just excited and so grateful,” Affleck told The Post ahead of her DWTS debut. “Something I’ve dealt with throughout all my pregnancies, and after my pregnancies, has been depression — so I’m grateful to have this opportunity, because I think it’s going to distract me from what I could be experiencing.”
Affleck is partnered with first-time DWTS pro Jan Ravnik, who is making his professional debut this season. He previously served as a backup dancer on Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour.
Jordan Chiles And Ezra Sosa
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
American gymnast Jordan Chiles joins the celebrity roster, following in the footsteps of fellow gymnasts Shawn Johnson, Laurie Hernandez, Suni Lee and Stephen Nedroscik. Chiles earned gold with the 2024 Summer Olympics team and silver with the 2020 Summer Olympics squad.
“I’m so happy he gets this opportunity and a better experience in a better way, and that he just gets to really showcase who he is,” Chiles told People, referring to Ezra Sosa’s partner Anna Delvey last year.
Sosa made his pro dancer debut last season with Delvey, who infamously said she took “nothing” away from her experience on DWTS. The dancer told People he felt “relief” when he learned he was partnered with Chiles this season. “It’s like we knew each other,” he added about their instant connection. “It was so weird.”
Baron Davis And Britt Stewart
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Baron Davis and Britt Stewart. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Two-time NBC all-star Baron Davis will be showing off his dance moves in Season 34. The former basketball professional played for the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
Davis is also an entrepreneur and investor, and has founded several companies, including Sports, Lifestyle in Culture (SLiC), Business Inside the Game (B.I.G.), UWish, and More Than Us. He admitted to Us Weekly that he “was a little hesitant” to join DWTS. “You go back and forth, and you’re like, you know, if you do this, you’re all in, and you’re dancing in front of people, a lot of people on TV.”
Davis’ partner is Britt Stewart, who is coming off the heels of her fairytale August wedding to her former partner, actor Daniel Durant. “I was never the little girl that had big dreams of a fairy-tale wedding. So when I describe our wedding, I want it to feel like an abundance of love connecting everyone there,” she told People about the big day.
Elaine Hendrix And Alan Bersten
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Fans will recognize Elaine Hendrix for playing the iconic character Meredith Blake in the 1998 Parent Trap remake. She’s also acted in titles like Dynasty, Superstar, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, the 1995 Get Smart series and more.
“I’ve never done ballroom,” Hendrix told *NBC 15 News* at ABC’s summer soiree in early September. “The whole experience for me is why I wanted to do it. I don’t know that I’d ever get this opportunity at any other time in my life. So, I had to say yes when they asked me.”
Pro Alan Bersten is returning to the ballroom and is paired with Hendrix. The dancer previously won Mirrorball in Season 28 with his celebrity partner, The Bachelorette’s Hannah Brown.
Hilaria Baldwin And Gleb Savchenko
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Gleb Savchenk and Hilaria Baldwin. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Hilaria Baldwin is joining DWTS this season. She’s a yoga instructor, author and the wife of actor Alec Baldwin. She also appears on TLC’s reality show The Baldwins, which follows her and Alec’s lives as they raise their seven children.
Hilaria revealed to TVInsider that her involvement in DWTS was a last-minute thing, and she moved her whole family to Los Angeles for the time being. “This has been a really fast, semi-like scary, but also really exciting,” Hilaria said. “It’s an adventure. It was like a last-minute thing, and I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s just do this. Let’s just go have fun and try something new and meet new people and dance a little bit.’”
Despite Gleb Savchenko hinting over the summer that he wouldn’t be returning to DWTS this season, he’s back on the show. This comes after a publicized fallout between him and his former DWTS Season 33 partner/girlfriend, Brooks Nader, who claimed Gleb cheated on her.
Scott Hoying And Rylee Arnold
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Scott Hoying is an Emmy and Grammy-winning singer best known for co-founding the acclaimed a cappella group Pentatonix. He’s also a songwriter, producer, arranger and artist.
Scott and Rylee were thrilled when they learned they were being compared to High School Musical’s legendary siblings, Sharpay and Ryan Evans. “I feel like Rylee and I are just giving major sibling energy,” Rylee told Entertainment Tonight. “And I am so glad they’re comparing us to Sharpay and Ryan.”
Meanwhile, Rylee is back for her third consecutive season on DWTS, after competing with reality TV star Harry Jowsey in 2023 and Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik. The 20-year-old is the younger sibling of former pro dancer Lindsay Arnold, who has been on hiatus from the show to focus on her family.
Dylan Efron And Daniella Karagach
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Daniella Karagach and Dylan Efron. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Dylan Efron is the 33-year-old younger brother of High School Musical star and heartthrob Zac Efron. He won The Traitors after competing in the third season of the popular murder mystery competition.
Dylan admitted to People that his mother, Starla Baskett, actually wanted Zac to be on the ABC show twenty years ago. “My mom, her dream was Zac doing the show 20 years ago,” he said. “So I’m really excited for my mom to be there.” He continued, “But also, my dad and my little brother and little sister. It’s gonna make me tear up to see them in the stands.”
Efron is partnered with choreographer Daniella Karagach, who returns for her sixth season on the dance competition. Karagach previously won the Mirrorball Trophy in Season 30 with basketball star Iman Shumpert and has earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography.
Andy Richter And Emma Slater
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Emma Slater and Andy Richter. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Comedian, actor and writer Andy Richter is taking the DWTS stage for a chance at the mirrorball. Richter is best known as Conan O’Brien’s sidekick on Late Night, The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS. He has also starred in movies including Elf and Madagascar, and currently hosts the SiriusXM program, The Andy Richter Call-in Show.
In an interview with Us, Richter said he was grateful to learn from Emma but is worried about injuring himself or his partner. “It would just really suck to have [an injury] be the end of [my experience],” he said. “Or injuring Emma, that would be bad.”
Throughout her time on DWTS, Slater won the Mirrorball once in Season 24 with her partner, former NFL player Rashad Jennings. She was paired up with Family Matters actor Reginald VelJohnson last year.
Danielle Fishel And Pasha Pashkov
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Pasha Pashkov and Danielle Fishel. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Viewers will recognize Danielle Fishel for her role as Topanga in the ’90s hit series Boy Meets World. She later reprised her role as Topanga in Disney’s reboot Girl Meets World, and she also hosts a podcast about the show, Pod Meets World, alongside her former co-stars.
Fishel opened up to People and revealed that she joined DWTS after undergoing breast cancer treatment. “The minute I was done with my cancer treatment, I thought to myself, ‘If this has shown me anything, it has shown me that I am not experiencing enough joy in my life.'” She continued, “When they asked me to do this, I was like, ‘This is the perfect way to cap it off.'”
Fishel will be dancing with pro dancer Pasha Pashkov, who’s been competing on the show since 2019. Although he has yet to receive a Mirrorball, he competed in his first finale in Season 32 with Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix.
Corey Feldman And Jenna Johnson
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Jenna Johnson and Corey Feldman. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Corey Feldman rose to fame through his childhood acting career, starring in beloved classics like Stand By Me, The Goonies, The Lost Boys, and the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Following his early success, he moved into music and became an advocate raising awareness about child abuse in the entertainment industry.
The 54-year-old told US Weekly that he was so grateful that he’s paired with someone “so eloquent when it comes to the dance floor, and knowing everything, the moves, the rhythms, the styles [and] the technique.” He said he’s ready to embrace ballroom after dancing professionally in choreographed routines for work.
Feldman is paired with Season 33 Mirrorball winner Jenna Johnson, who won the latest season of DWTS with The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei. Last year marked her second victory after first winning the trophy in Season 26 with her partner Adam Rippon.
Lauren Jauregui And Brandon Armstrong
DANCING WITH THE STARS – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” stars Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Lauren Jauregui began her music career in 2012 when she auditioned for the second season of The X Factor US, which led to her joining the popular girl group Fifth Harmony. Following the group’s disbandment, she launched her solo career in 2018. Fifth Harmony recently reunited for the first time in seven years during the Jonas Brothers’ Dallas show on Aug. 31.
Jauregui was a last-minute addition to the show — and the singer learned about her involvement just two days before the GMA cast reveal. She told *Us Weekly* that she texted her fellow Fifth Harmony members after the news dropped. “I literally texted them this morning, and was like, ‘Hey guys, just so you know…’” Jauregui joked. She added that she was “super excited” and “not scared” to compete in Season 4.
Partnering with Jauregui is pro dancer Brandon Armstrong, who is seeking his first DWTS win on the main ballroom stage. (He previously won on the junior version of the show in Season 6.)
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. New episodes will also be available to stream the next day on ABC.com and Hulu.
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