Fans of YouTube were very quick to notice a familiar face during the most recent episode of DWTS: The Next Pro. YouTuber of nearly 10 years, Bailey McKnight, who shares a channel with her twin sister Brooklyn, was paired with AJ Pritchard. Due to her longevity on YouTube and overall follower count, why was Bailey cast in the spinoff series?
Bailey McKnight Competes Alongside Other Influencers on DWTS: The Next Pro
This week’s episode of DWTS: The Next Pro saw a whole new section of the cast, superfans. These superfans include social media influencers Jeremy Urann, Zaira Yzabelle, Jay Wyson, Anthony Riccardo, and Bailey McKnight. These influencers took part in the competition by learning to dance from contestants. Their ability to learn the steps were taken into consideration for their partner’s success in the competition.
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) August 17, 2026
When looking into each superfans’ following on TikTok, it’s clear that Bailey has nearly double the amount of followers than the other superfans. Bailey and her sister Brooklyn have amassed 7.5 million TikTok followers. Meanwhile, Zaira has 2.8 million followers, Anthony has 481.5K followers, Jay has 171.1K followers, and Jeremy has 109.4K followers, all on TikTok. Additionally, Bailey’s YouTube channel (shared with his sister) has 7.44 million subscribers.
Bailey and AJ’s Viennese waltz impressed on the stage, especially since they were able to put it together in only two days. As many know, AJ previously took part in Strictly Come Dancing, so it was not a surprise he was able to teach his partner well. They were ultimately deemed safe from elimination, but Bailey will not appear again on the series.
Is Bailey Big Enough to be Cast on The Main Show?
We’ve seen many other influencers take part in the Dancing With the Stars competition previously, so it’s a bit confusing as to why Bailey would be cast in the spinoff series. Anyone who’s seen Brooklyn and Bailey on social media knows that they are huge fans of the series and have campaigned multiple times to be cast on the main show.
As Dancing With the Stars evolves with time, influencers have quickly become the main celebrities cast on the series. The biggest example of this is Charli D’Amelio who took part (and won) Season 30. Other names that have taken part in the show are Alix Earle, Heidi D’Amelio, Bethany Mota, and Lele Pons.
Some other popular social media celebrities have been JoJo Siwa (who was also popular for Nickelodeon and Dance Moms), as well as Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck, who began on TikTok and ended up on Hulu series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Additionally, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the series to introduce Brooklyn and Bailey in a similar situation as Charli and her mom Heidi. Creating another narrative of related influencers competing against one of each other.
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
