The Dancing With the Stars cast is changing again for 2026 as the hit ABC competition prepares for Season 35. Dancing with the Stars will return this fall, and several celebrity contestants have already been confirmed. As of August 6, 2026, Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson, and Guillermo Rodriguez are among the announced stars, while more names are expected before the September premiere.
Quick Facts About Dancing With the Stars Season 35
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Show | Dancing With the Stars |
| Season | 35 |
| Year | 2026 |
| Premiere | September 15, 2026 |
| Network | ABC |
| Streaming | Disney+ |
| Confirmed celebrity | Maura Higgins |
| Confirmed celebrity | Ciara Miller |
| Confirmed celebrity | Jackson Olson |
| Confirmed celebrity | Guillermo Rodriguez |
| Judges expected/returning | Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli |
| Hosts | Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough expected to continue |
| Trophy | Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy |
| Full celebrity cast | Not yet announced as of August 6 |
Who Is in the Dancing With the Stars Cast for 2026?
The complete Season 35 celebrity lineup has not yet been announced.
That is important because many online lists currently mix confirmed celebrities with rumors.
As of August 2026, reporting has identified four announced contestants:
- Maura Higgins
- Ciara Miller
- Jackson Olson
- Guillermo Rodriguez
Derek Hough also teased in June that more contestants were waiting to be revealed.
Therefore, this list will grow as ABC gets closer to the premiere.
Is Maura Higgins on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes.
Maura Higgins is officially joining Season 35.
She became famous through Love Island UK and later expanded her reality television career with other appearances.
Her personality could make her one of the season’s most talked-about contestants.
In fact, discussion around her potential professional partner has already started before the season even begins.
Who Will Maura Higgins Dance With?
Her professional partner has not been officially confirmed in the information currently available.
However, Maura has already made headlines over one professional dancer she apparently does not want.
That dancer is Gleb Savchenko.
Maura previously said she did not want to be paired with him, referencing his past relationship with her friend and former DWTS contestant Brooks Nader.
Savchenko responded publicly in August 2026, saying he was surprised because he had never met Higgins.
That has already created one of Season 35’s biggest pre-premiere stories.
Is Ciara Miller on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes.
Ciara Miller is another confirmed Season 35 celebrity.
Reality television fans know her from Bravo’s Summer House.
She has also appeared in The Traitors.
Her participation was revealed early alongside Maura Higgins.
Ciara brings a strong reality-TV fan base into the ballroom.
That can be important because DWTS viewers vote throughout the competition.
Is Jackson Olson Joining Dancing With the Stars?
Yes.
Jackson Olson has been announced for Season 35.
He is best known for his connection with the Savannah Bananas, the exhibition baseball team famous for mixing baseball with entertainment.
Olson already understands how to perform in front of large crowds.
However, baseball entertainment and ballroom dancing are very different skills.
That makes him an interesting contestant.
Is Guillermo Rodriguez on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes.
Guillermo Rodriguez is another announced celebrity contestant.
He is widely recognized as Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live!
He originally worked as a parking-lot security guard before becoming one of the show’s most recognizable personalities.
His comedy and personality could make him a fan favorite even if he does not arrive with serious dance experience.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Confirmed Cast
| Celebrity | Known For | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Maura Higgins | Love Island UK, reality TV | Confirmed |
| Ciara Miller | Summer House, The Traitors | Confirmed |
| Jackson Olson | Savannah Bananas | Confirmed |
| Guillermo Rodriguez | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Confirmed |
These are the major announced names reported ahead of the full cast reveal.
When Will the Full Dancing With the Stars Cast Be Announced?
ABC has not yet revealed every celebrity.
Historically, the complete lineup arrives closer to the season premiere.
For example, the full Season 34 celebrity cast was announced on Good Morning America on September 3, 2025, less than two weeks before the September 16 premiere.
Season 35 could follow a similar strategy.
That means August and early September may bring several new announcements.
When Does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Start?
Current reporting says Season 35 premieres September 15, 2026, on ABC and Disney+.
That gives the show another major fall television slot.
Viewers should expect more cast announcements as that date approaches.
Where Can You Watch Dancing With the Stars?
Season 35 will air on:
ABC
and stream live through:
Disney+
The show’s recent seasons have used a combination of traditional broadcast television and streaming.
That allows both regular TV audiences and streaming viewers to watch the ballroom competition.
Who Are the Dancing With the Stars Judges?
The familiar judging panel is associated with:
Carrie Ann Inaba
Bruno Tonioli
Derek Hough
Bruno Tonioli recently discussed how DWTS judging has become stricter as the quality of celebrity performances has improved over the years.
The judges look at more than whether a celebrity remembers the steps.
They consider:
- Technique
- Timing
- Musicality
- Performance
- Choreography
- Connection between partners
- Improvement
That is why a technically strong dance may still receive criticism.
Is Derek Hough Returning?
Derek Hough remains closely involved with the show.
In June 2026, he even teased the upcoming Season 35 lineup and said:
“We have a really good cast.”
He also suggested that additional celebrities were still waiting to be announced.
That helped increase excitement around the mystery contestants.
Is Bruno Tonioli Still on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes, Bruno remains one of the show’s most recognizable judges.
He has been associated with the American series since its beginning in 2005.
In August 2026, Bruno explained that judging standards have become tougher because contestants and professional dancers now produce much more sophisticated performances.
Is Carrie Ann Inaba Returning?
Carrie Ann Inaba remains a core part of the DWTS judging panel.
She has been with the American version since the early seasons and is known for paying close attention to lifts, performance quality, and technique.
Together with Bruno and Derek, she gives the show a mix of different judging styles.
Who Hosts Dancing With the Stars?
Recent seasons have been hosted by:
Alfonso Ribeiro
and
Julianne Hough.
Both have strong connections to DWTS.
Julianne was previously a professional dancer and judge.
Alfonso has an even more interesting history.
Before becoming host, he competed as a celebrity.
Did Alfonso Ribeiro Win Dancing With the Stars?
Yes.
Alfonso Ribeiro competed in Season 19.
He danced with professional partner Witney Carson and won the Mirrorball Trophy.
His famous Fresh Prince of Bel-Air “Carlton Dance” also became part of his DWTS journey.
Years later, he returned in a completely different role as host.
Was Julianne Hough a Professional Dancer?
Yes.
Before hosting, Julianne Hough was one of the show’s professional dancers.
She won the competition with celebrity partners and later became a judge.
Her journey has therefore included several different DWTS jobs:
Professional dancer → judge → host
Few people understand the ballroom from as many perspectives.
Who Are the Professional Dancers for Season 35?
The complete celebrity-professional pairings have not yet been officially announced.
That means fans should be careful with online posts claiming to know every couple.
Many familiar professionals could return.
Names associated with recent seasons include dancers such as:
- Val Chmerkovskiy
- Alan Bersten
- Brandon Armstrong
- Jenna Johnson
- Daniella Karagach
- Emma Slater
- Pasha Pashkov
- Britt Stewart
- Rylee Arnold
- Ezra Sosa
- Witney Carson
- Gleb Savchenko
However, the final Season 35 lineup should be confirmed by ABC before every name is treated as official.
Is Gleb Savchenko Returning?
Gleb’s Season 35 status has attracted extra attention because of Maura Higgins’ comments.
Maura publicly said she would not want him as her professional partner.
Gleb then responded, saying he had never met her and was surprised by the criticism.
Whether the two will actually be part of the same Season 35 cast remains something viewers will watch closely as the professional lineup is finalized.
Who Is the New Dancing With the Stars Pro?
DWTS has created another show to answer exactly that question.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro premiered in July 2026.
The competition features aspiring professional dancers battling for the chance to become a professional on the main DWTS series.
The winner is expected to earn a coveted professional spot on Season 35.
What Is Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro?
The Next Pro is essentially a talent search for DWTS professional dancers.
Instead of celebrities learning ballroom dance, trained dancers compete against each other.
The prize is particularly valuable:
A place in the main Dancing With the Stars ballroom.
That could create a new generation of DWTS professionals.
Who Has Been Eliminated From The Next Pro?
As of August 5, six contestants had been eliminated:
Briar Nolet
Jake Monreal
Benjamin “Benji” Castro
Natalie Jolley
Tristen Sanders
Stephani Sosa
The remaining dancers continue competing for the Season 35 professional position.
That means the final professional cast is still developing.
Is Kamri Peterson Joining DWTS?
Kamri Peterson has also been reported as joining the Season 35 professional troupe.
She already has DWTS history because she appeared in the franchise’s junior competition.
A troupe role is different from being assigned a celebrity partner.
Troupe dancers can perform in group numbers and support the live show while gaining experience that may eventually lead to a full professional partnership.
Who Was in the Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Cast?
Season 34 had a large celebrity lineup.
ABC’s official cast included:
Alix Earle
Andy Richter
Baron Davis
Corey Feldman
Danielle Fishel
Dylan Efron
Elaine Hendrix
Hilaria Baldwin
Jen Affleck
Jordan Chiles
Lauren Jauregui
Robert Irwin
Scott Hoying
Whitney Leavitt
That lineup mixed actors, athletes, social-media personalities, musicians, reality stars, and comedians.
Season 35 appears to be following a similar formula.
Why Does Dancing With the Stars Use Such Different Celebrities?
Variety makes the show interesting.
If every contestant were an actor, the season could feel repetitive.
Instead, DWTS recruits people from many backgrounds.
A cast might include:
- Olympic athletes
- NFL or NBA players
- Reality stars
- Actors
- Musicians
- Models
- Social-media creators
- Television personalities
- Comedians
Each group brings a different audience.
It also creates uncertainty.
An athlete may be physically strong but struggle with musicality.
An actor may perform emotions beautifully but find ballroom technique difficult.
Do Celebrities Need Dance Experience?
No.
That is part of the show’s appeal.
Some contestants have previous dance or performance experience.
Others begin with almost none.
Professional dancers then train their celebrity partners throughout the week.
Viewers get to watch the transformation.
Sometimes the contestant who looks weakest during Week 1 becomes one of the strongest by the finale.
How Are Dancing With the Stars Couples Chosen?
Celebrities are paired with professional dancers.
Several factors can matter, including:
- Height
- Personality
- Dance experience
- Teaching style
- Chemistry
- Scheduling
- Production considerations
The exact matching process happens behind the scenes.
Fans often predict pairings before ABC officially announces them.
Sometimes they are right.
Often they are not.
How Does Dancing With the Stars Voting Work?
Viewer voting is a major part of the competition.
Judges give scores for each dance.
Fans also vote.
The results help determine which couples remain in the competition.
That means being the technically strongest dancer does not automatically guarantee victory.
A celebrity also needs audience support.
What Is the Mirrorball Trophy?
The winning celebrity and professional partner receive the famous Mirrorball Trophy.
The current trophy is named in honor of longtime judge Len Goodman.
Goodman was a central figure in the franchise and became known for his deep knowledge of ballroom technique.
After his death in 2023, the trophy was renamed the:
Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Winning it is the ultimate goal for every DWTS couple.
Who Won Dancing With the Stars Season 34?
Season 34 ended with another celebrity-professional team taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
That victory also helped build excitement for Season 35, because every new cast enters knowing how much the competition can change over just a few weeks.
Some contestants begin as obvious favorites.
Others surprise everyone.
That unpredictability is a major reason viewers return.
Who Could Join Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Next?
This is where confirmed reporting must be separated from rumors.
Fans have discussed many possible names.
Recent online speculation has included people from reality television, sports, food television, and entertainment.
For example, Reddit fans have recently discussed Giada De Laurentiis as a rumored possibility.
However:
Rumored does not mean confirmed.
Until ABC or reliable entertainment reporting announces someone, they should not be added to the official cast list.
Why Are DWTS Cast Rumors So Popular?
The cast reveal is almost an event of its own.
Fans spend weeks trying to solve clues.
They examine:
- Social-media follows
- Travel schedules
- Instagram posts
- Professional dancers’ comments
- Celebrity interviews
- Paparazzi photos
Sometimes a celebrity suddenly starts following several DWTS professionals.
Fans immediately notice.
The speculation creates excitement before anyone even performs.
Can Rumored Cast Lists Be Wrong?
Absolutely.
Many are.
A celebrity may be approached but decline.
Another may negotiate without signing.
Someone could agree and later leave because of scheduling.
That means articles saying “confirmed cast” should use only reliable announcements.
As of August 6, the Season 35 lineup is still incomplete.
Is Maura Higgins Already Creating Drama?
She has certainly created conversation.
Her comments about not wanting Gleb Savchenko as her partner quickly became entertainment news.
Gleb told PEOPLE he was surprised and disappointed to be judged by someone who had never met him.
Whether that becomes an actual storyline during Season 35 depends on who returns and how the pairings are arranged.
But it has already given fans something to discuss.
Could Maura Higgins Be a Strong Dancer?
Possibly.
Reality-TV personality does not tell us much about ballroom ability.
DWTS has repeatedly shown that contestants can surprise viewers.
Some athletes struggle.
Some actors dominate.
Some reality stars become excellent performers.
The real test will come when Maura performs her first routine.
Could Ciara Miller Win Dancing With the Stars?
It is far too early to predict.
She has not even performed her first scored dance.
However, Ciara brings something important:
A recognizable fan base.
Audience voting can become crucial later in the competition.
If she combines fan support with strong dancing, she could become a serious contestant.
Why Jackson Olson Could Be Interesting
Jackson comes from the Savannah Bananas world.
Banana Ball is built around entertainment.
Players dance, perform, joke, and interact with crowds.
That does not make Olson a ballroom dancer.
But it means he may be more comfortable performing publicly than a traditional athlete.
Confidence can make a big difference on DWTS.
Why Guillermo Rodriguez Could Become a Fan Favorite
Guillermo may not enter as an obvious technical favorite.
But DWTS is not only about perfect ballroom technique.
Personality matters.
Humor matters.
Improvement matters.
Audience connection matters.
Guillermo has spent years making television audiences laugh.
If viewers enjoy watching him learn, he could remain in the competition longer than people initially expect.
Why Is Dancing With the Stars Still Popular?
The basic idea is simple.
Take someone famous.
Give them a professional dancer.
Teach them something difficult.
Then put them on live television.
Viewers watch people fail, improve, become emotional, and sometimes completely transform.
There is also something for different audiences.
Sports fans may support an athlete.
Reality fans may vote for a Bravo star.
Younger viewers may recognize a social-media personality.
Older viewers may support a familiar actor.
That mixture keeps the show broad.
How Long Has Dancing With the Stars Been Running?
The American version premiered in 2005.
Season 35 therefore represents more than two decades of DWTS history.
Many television competition shows disappear after a few years.
DWTS has survived changing viewing habits, streaming, social media, cast changes, and shifts in television culture.
Its format remains surprisingly durable.
Dancing With the Stars Cast: Confirmed vs Rumored
| Name | Season 35 Status |
|---|---|
| Maura Higgins | Confirmed |
| Ciara Miller | Confirmed |
| Jackson Olson | Confirmed |
| Guillermo Rodriguez | Confirmed |
| Giada De Laurentiis | Rumored online |
| Other circulating names | Not confirmed yet |
The safest approach is to wait for ABC’s official full-cast announcement before treating rumored celebrities as contestants.
Common Mistakes About the Dancing With the Stars Cast
One mistake is using the Season 34 cast as though it were the new 2026 lineup.
ABC’s current cast pages can still prominently display Season 34 names such as Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, Danielle Fishel, and Dylan Efron.
Another mistake is treating rumors as confirmed contestants.
Season 35’s full lineup has not yet been revealed.
A third mistake is assuming every familiar professional dancer automatically returns each year.
Professional lineups can change.
Finally, some older articles do not include Jackson Olson or Guillermo Rodriguez because they were announced after Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller.
Always check the publication date when reading DWTS cast news.
Final Thoughts
The Dancing With the Stars cast for 2026 is beginning to take shape, but there are still plenty of surprises ahead.
Season 35 already has four notable celebrity contestants:
Maura Higgins
Ciara Miller
Jackson Olson
and
Guillermo Rodriguez.
More celebrities are coming.
Derek Hough has already teased that the show has a strong lineup and that additional stars are waiting to be announced.
There is also another interesting change this year.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro is searching for a new professional dancer who can earn a place in the main ballroom.
Meanwhile, Maura Higgins has already created headlines before dancing a single routine because of her comments about Gleb Savchenko.
All of that gives Season 35 plenty of attention before premiere night.
The biggest thing fans need to remember is simple:
The full Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast has not been revealed yet.
With the premiere scheduled for September 15, 2026, more celebrity names, professional dancers, and official pairings should emerge soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in the Dancing With the Stars cast for 2026?
Confirmed Season 35 celebrities include Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson, and Guillermo Rodriguez. More contestants are expected to be announced.
When does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 start?
Season 35 is scheduled to premiere September 15, 2026 on ABC and Disney+.
Is Maura Higgins on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes. Maura Higgins is a confirmed Season 35 contestant.
Is Ciara Miller on DWTS 2026?
Yes. The Summer House star is part of Season 35.
Is Jackson Olson on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes. The Savannah Bananas personality has been announced for Season 35.
Is Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel on DWTS?
Yes. Guillermo Rodriguez is one of the announced Season 35 celebrities.
Who are the Dancing With the Stars judges?
The familiar panel features Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli.
Who hosts Dancing With the Stars?
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough have been the show’s recent hosting team.
Who are the Season 35 professional dancers?
The complete professional lineup and celebrity pairings have not yet been officially revealed.
Is Gleb Savchenko partnering Maura Higgins?
No partnership has been officially confirmed. Higgins has publicly said she does not want Gleb as her partner.
What is Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro?
It is a 2026 competition in which aspiring professional dancers compete for a chance to join the main DWTS show as a professional.
Has the full DWTS Season 35 cast been announced?
No. As of August 6, 2026, the complete celebrity lineup has not been publicly revealed.
Where can I watch Dancing With the Stars Season 35?
Season 35 will air on ABC and stream on Disney+.
Who was in the Season 34 cast?
Season 34 included Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, Danielle Fishel, Dylan Efron, Hilaria Baldwin, Corey Feldman, Lauren Jauregui, Whitney Leavitt and several other celebrities.
Are rumored Season 35 cast lists reliable?
Not always. A celebrity should not be considered confirmed until ABC, the show, the celebrity, or reliable entertainment reporting verifies their participation.
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