The Season 35 cast of Dancing With the Stars is waltzing into the ballroom on Tuesday, September 15 and 16. It’s recently been revealed that the competition could look very different this season, including eliminations during the show’s two-night premiere.
One Female, One Male Celebrity Eliminated during DWTS Premiere
It was recently revealed as part of Hulu’s Get Real podcast that unlike other years, there will be two eliminations during the first week of the Dancing With the Stars competition. In case you missed it, this season’s premiere will feature one night dedicated to male contestants, while the other will feature female contestants.
“This is the first time since 2018 that one male celebrity and one female celebrity will be sent home after the two-night premiere,” the podcast host, Amanda Hirsch confirmed.
In previous premieres, the show split the cast between two nights and no one was eliminated during the first week. It has not been revealed why the network decided to switch up the format this season. Regardless, professional dancer Mark Ballas and his celebrity partner Maura Higgins are feeling the pressure before the competition even starts.
“This is a first [for me],” Mark Ballas said on the podcast. “It’s not an even playing field, right? The cast is split in half. … Boys over there, girls over there. One of you is going from each group. That’s a little different.”
On Tuesday night’s episode, fans can expect to see The Bachelorette alumni Tyler Cameron, Paralympian Ezra French, singer Taylor Hanson, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Conner Leavitt, Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olsen, Jimmy Kimmel Live star Guillermo Rodriguez, actor Harry Shum Jr. and influencer Connor Wood. Wednesday night’s episode will then feature the women of the season, Maura Higgins, actress Julia Stiles, reality star Sarah Jane Nader, Summer House star Ciara Miller, Olympian Amber Glenn, actress Jenna Dewan, chef Giada De Laurentiis, and actress Tatyana Ali.
Fans of The Competition Series Shame the Show for Multiple Dancers
Since Dancing With the Stars‘ Season 35 cast reveal, fans have been quick to comment on the amount of dance experience the cast has. This season’s cast features multiple seasoned dancers, like Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr. There’s especially been criticism on casting Dewan, since she rose to fame as part of the 2006 film Step Up. She additionally toured as Janet Jackson’s backup dancer.
Amid the criticism, Dewan has publicly acknowledged the fact that she has past as a dancer. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she put the rumors to rest.
“I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages,” Dewan explained. “It’s a new technique, brand new technique. It almost threw me off initially because I had to unlearn a lot of, I don’t want to say bad habits, but just habits of the style that I’m used to.”
In case you missed it, Dewan is partnered with longtime professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy on this season of Dancing With the Stars. The pair will be performing their first dance on Wednesday, September 16. Are you planning to watch Dancing With the Stars this season? Let us know on X!
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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.
