ABC Confirms Hosts and Judges for 'Dancing' Season 35
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts, with Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli back as judges.
The Announcement
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will return as hosts of "Dancing with the Stars" for Season 35, ABC confirmed. Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli will return to the judges' panel.
USA TODAY reports the announcement came during a Sept. 1 segment on ABC's morning programme "Good Morning America". The network said the season will premiere with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, streaming the next day on Hulu.
"You can expect what you know and love about 'Dancing with the Stars' but also an energized show. We have so much momentum. The cast is incredible," Derek Hough said on "GMA", according to USA TODAY. "It's gonna be an incredible season. I truly cannot wait."
The People at the Front of the Ballroom
Ribeiro, known for the sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", won the show's Mirrorball Trophy with professional dancer Witney Carson in Season 19. He has hosted alongside Julianne Hough since Season 32.
Julianne Hough was a professional on the show in its early seasons and won two consecutive championships in Seasons 4 and 5 before leaving. USA TODAY reports she later served as a judge for Seasons 19 through 24, except Season 22, then became co-host in 2023.
Her brother Derek Hough competed as a professional for nearly 10 years and won the Mirrorball Trophy six times before becoming a judge in 2020. Inaba and Tonioli have judged the series since its debut. The Democrat and Chronicle describes the current three-judge line-up as having judged together since 2023.
Cast Still to Come
The full celebrity cast and their professional partners are due to be revealed on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The Democrat and Chronicle notes the programme runs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET and that the exact time of the announcement is not known.
Four celebrities have been confirmed so far: "Summer House" star Ciara Miller, "Love Island" figure Maura Higgins, Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" regular Guillermo Rodriguez.
Only one pairing has been named. Rodriguez will dance with Witney Carson, who won Season 34 with Robert Irwin and is pregnant with her third child, USA TODAY reports. Sharna Burgess also returns as a professional after a five-year break, having won her first Mirrorball in Season 27 with Bobby Bones.
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