Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Unveils Diverse Cast

The 35th season of the popular competition series, Dancing With the Stars, has revealed its lineup of celebrity contestants, promising a diverse array of personalities from entertainment and sports. This upcoming season is set to premiere on Tuesday, September 15, broadcasting live on and streaming on Disney+, with next-day availability on Hulu.

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will return as co-hosts for the new season. The judging panel will once again comprise Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough. The cast aims to appeal to a broad audience, featuring figures from various decades of television, current reality shows, and professional athletics.

Diverse Celebrity Lineup

Among the notable participants is figure skater Amber Glenn, an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA in 2026. Glenn, who is openly pansexual, made history as the first American woman to land three triple axels in a single Olympic Games. She has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility, inclusion, and mental health support, and will be partnered with professional dancer Pasha Pashkov.

Actress Tatyana Ali, widely recognized for her role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, joins the competition. Ali, a Harvard graduate with Broadway experience, has received five NAACP Image Awards. Her career includes appearances on Sesame Street and The Young and the Restless, and she currently holds a recurring role on Abbott Elementary. She will dance with professional Jan Ravnik.

Return of Same-Sex Pairing and Reality Stars

This season will also feature a same-sex dance partnership with model and reality television personality Sarah Jane Nader, known from her series Love Thy Nader. Nader will be paired with professional dancer Hailey Bills. This marks the third instance of a same-sex pairing on the program, following JoJo Siwa in Season 30 and Shangela in Season 31, reflecting an ongoing effort to embrace broader representation.

Further strengthening the cast's reality television presence is Tyler Cameron, who gained prominence as a runner-up on The Bachelorette. Since then, Cameron has appeared in multiple reality TV shows and modeling campaigns. He is set to partner with professional Sharna Burgess.

The culinary world will be represented by Chef Giada De Laurentiis, an Emmy Award-winning television personality known for shows like Everyday Italian. De Laurentiis has authored 11 cookbooks and built a lifestyle brand, Giadzy, along with a restaurant business. She will compete with professional Alan Bersten. Actress Jenna Dewan, known for her dance background and roles in films such as Step Up and her current role as Lt. Bailey Nune in The Rookie, will partner with professional Val Chmerkovskiy.

Expected Viewer Engagement

The inclusion of such a wide range of personalities, including an openly pansexual Olympic athlete and a same-sex dance duo, is intended to broaden the show's appeal and attract new demographics, alongside its established viewership. Should the cast resonate strongly with audiences, the season could see increased ratings across its broadcast and streaming platforms, potentially influencing advertising revenue for the traditional network and subscriber engagement for Disney+ and Hulu.