The complete Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast has been revealed, with 16 celebrities preparing to compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy when the ABC competition returns in September 2026.
The celebrity contestants and their professional partners were introduced during the September 2 episode of Good Morning America. The lineup includes actors Julia Stiles, Tatyana Ali, Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr., celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, Paralympian Ezra Frech and Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn.
Season 35 will begin with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16. Both episodes will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream live on Disney+.
DWTS Season 35 cast and professional partners
Here is the complete list of celebrities and professional dancers announced for Dancing With the Stars Season 35:
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: The actress and singer best known for playing Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will compete with Ravnik.
- Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess: The former Bachelorette contestant will dance with Burgess, who is returning to the ballroom following a five-year absence.
- Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten: The chef, television host and cookbook author will compete alongside Mirrorball-winning professional Bersten.
- Jenna Dewan and Valentin Chmerkovskiy: The actress and experienced dancer, known for appearing in Step Up, has been paired with Chmerkovskiy.
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: The Paralympic track-and-field champion will compete with Karagach.
- Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart: The singer and Hanson band member will make his ballroom debut with Stewart.
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: The actor and dancer known for Glee and Grey’s Anatomy will compete with Johnson.
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: The Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You actress will dance with Sosa.
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: The comedian and podcaster will compete alongside Arnold.
- Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman: Leavitt, whose wife Whitney competed during Season 34, will dance with the winner of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.
- Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills: The Love Thy Nader personality will compete with Bills in a same-sex partnership.
- Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong: The Summer House and Traitors personality has been partnered with Armstrong.
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: The Love Island alum will reunite with her former Traitors costar Ballas in the ballroom.
- Jackson Olson and Emma Slater: The Savannah Bananas second baseman and social-media personality will compete with Slater.
- Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson: The longtime Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality will dance with reigning champion Carson.
The combination of contestants with genuine dance experience and complete beginners could shape the competition from its opening night. Dewan and Shum have extensive dancing backgrounds, while Glenn’s figure-skating career may help her with balance, movement and performance under pressure.
Stiles will also attract attention because of her association with the dance drama Save the Last Dance. However, experience in a scripted movie does not necessarily translate into success during a live ballroom competition, where couples must learn new routines under strict weekly deadlines.
The season also brings new professional dancers into the main competition. Zaikman earned her place after winning the first season of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, while Bills is stepping up from the show’s dance troupe to compete as a professional partner.
Nader and Bills will form one of the show’s few same-sex pairings. Nader follows her sister, Brooks Nader, who competed with Gleb Savchenko during Season 33.
The cast announcement follows another busy week for Good Morning America. Viewers looking for more from the program can also see the products featured in the latest GMA Deals and Steals event.
When does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 begin?
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. A second premiere episode will air on Wednesday, September 16, at the same time.
After the two-night opening event, the competition is expected to continue in its regular Tuesday-night slot. New episodes will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will return as co-hosts. Ribeiro previously won Season 19 with Witney Carson before later taking over hosting duties.
The judging panel remains unchanged, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli returning to score the couples. The hosts and judges were confirmed during the September 1 episode of Good Morning America.
Carson enters the season as the reigning professional champion after winning Season 34 with Robert Irwin. She is also expecting her third child, adding another unusual storyline to her partnership with Rodriguez.
Burgess, meanwhile, is returning for her first season as a competing professional since Season 30. She previously won the Mirrorball Trophy with Bobby Bones during Season 27.
The first-night dances, performance order and voting instructions have not yet been announced. Those details are expected to be released closer to the September 15 premiere.
This article was updated on September 2, 2026, following the official cast and professional-partner announcement. It will be updated if ABC announces scheduling or lineup changes.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
