We can’t tap dance around this star-studded lineup.
Viewers are gearing up for the Season 34 premiere of “Dancing with the Stars” on Sept. 16. And ahead of the first episode, ABC revealed the official cast list on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.
The celebrities and their pro partners competing this season are:
- Social media star Alix Earle and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
- Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
- “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
- “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
- Alec Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, and Gleb Savchenko
- Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
- “The Traitors” star Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
- NBA star Baron Davis and Britt Stewart
- “Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
- Comedian Andy Richter and Emma Slater
- “The Parent Trap” actress Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
- Actor Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson
- Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold.
- Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong.
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are also returning to the ballroom. Alfonso Ribeiro is back to host alongside co-host Julianne Hough.
In August, Derek confessed that he wouldn’t be opposed to performing on “DWTS” alongside his sister again.
“We should,” the dancer-turned-judge told US Weekly. “That door is always open for us to get together and do something fun, especially on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”
Derek also teased the upcoming season.
“I don’t know what that means these days, but I guess that’s a phrase that people use,” he detailed. “Tea will be spilled. I think there’s a lot of energy. There’s a lot of momentum with ‘Dancing with the Stars’. … I think that momentum is gonna carry through into this one and it’s already feeling bigger than it’s ever been before we’ve even started. I think it’s going to be a big season.”
For some contestants, their journey to the ballroom came as a total shock.
During the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” reunion special in July, host Nick Viall revealed that both Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt were picked to compete.
Many of this year’s contestants have spoken out about joining the long-running competition series.
“I seriously can not wait for this journey! Dance has always been apart of my life. tysm @dancingwiththestars I’m coming for that 🪩✨,” Leavitt, 32, wrote on Instagram shortly after.
In May, Earle, 24, gushed over the opportunity.
“I’ve always been a fan of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” she said during a “Good Morning America” interview. “I used to watch it when I was so young with my grandma, and she would always say to me, ‘Maybe one day you could be on there.’”
“I was so in love with dance,” Earle, who was a competitive dancer in high school, continued. “I’m ready to challenge myself, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. So it was a very obvious answer to say yes.”
The son of the late Steve and Terri Irwin also expressed his gratitude for the iconic franchise.
“I am over the moon to be joining ‘Dancing with the Stars’ this season,” Robert, 21, told E! News in April. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m ready to hit the ballroom. Let’s go, let’s do this. I don’t know how my dance moves are, but I’m gonna give it 110 percent anyway.”
“Any exciting new project and really bring it back to the central message that we have which is conservation and protecting animals.”
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Robert also reminisced on his sister Bindi’s Season 21 win.
“I was 11 years old when she did the show, a decade ago,” the zookeeper shared. “I just sat there watching in the crowd every night. I was so proud of her.”
