It is officially that time of year again. The sequins are back, the ballroom is ready and somehow everyone suddenly has an opinion about who can actually dance. Dancing with the Stars is back for Season 35, and this season has brought together one of the most random and entertaining groups of celebrities. From reality TV stars and actors to athletes, influencers and even a member of Hanson, there is pretty much someone for everyone to root for.
And honestly, that is what makes Dancing with the Stars so fun.
You do not have to be a huge ballroom dancing fan to watch the show. You might tune in because you recognize one of the celebrities, see a dance clip on TikTok or hear your friends talking about someone’s performance. Then, before you know it, you have picked a favorite and suddenly care way too much about the judges’ scores.
Season 35 is especially interesting because of how different the cast is. Everyone comes into the ballroom with their own fan base and their own reason for being famous, which makes the competition feel like a giant pop-culture crossover.
The Celebrities Taking Over the Ballroom
One of the best things about this season is that there is no one type of celebrity. You have reality stars like Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Tyler Cameron, actors like Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr. and Julia Stiles, athletes like Amber Glenn and Ezra Frech, and social media personalities like Connor Wood and Jackson Olson.
Then you have people like Guillermo Rodriguez, who longtime fans know from Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Taylor Hanson, who has been part of the music world since Hanson became famous in the late 1990s.
Reality TV Stars Bring Their Fans
Ciara Miller is one of the reality TV names bringing a huge fan base into the ballroom. Fans know her from Bravo’s Summer House, and she also appeared on The Traitors US and co-hosted Love Island: Aftersun in 2026. Ciara and Brandon Armstrong are dancing together this season, giving fans another reason to follow her journey.
Then there is Jenna Dewan, who feels almost made for a show like this. Before becoming known for acting, Jenna was already a professional dancer who worked as a backup dancer for artists like Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera and P!nk. She later starred in Step Up and now stars on The Rookie. She is dancing with Val Chmerkovskiy this season, so viewers had high expectations for her from the start.
Harry Shum Jr. is another familiar face for a lot of viewers. If you grew up watching Glee, you probably remember him as Mike Chang. He has also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once. This season, he is dancing with Jenna Johnson.
And then there is Julia Stiles, which is a name that immediately brings back so many early-2000s memories. She starred in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and The Prince and Me. Now she is trading movie sets for the ballroom floor with Ezra Sosa.
For anyone who grew up watching those movies, seeing Julia Stiles on Dancing with the Stars is honestly such a full-circle moment.
The Reality TV Representation Is Strong
If you love reality TV, this season has plenty to offer.
Maura Higgins, known for Love Island UK, is competing with Mark Ballas. She also recently competed on The Traitors US, where she finished as the runner-up. So she already knows what it is like to compete on a reality show where everyone is watching your every move.
Tyler Cameron is another familiar reality TV face. Fans first met him on The Bachelorette, and he has since built a career outside of reality TV, including his Amazon series Going Home With Tyler Cameron. Tyler Cameron is dancing with Sharna Burgess this season.
And then there is Ciara, who brings the Summer House and Traitors audience with her.
Having several reality stars in one season makes the show even more interesting because these celebrities already know how to connect with viewers. Fans already follow their lives, relationships and careers, so watching them take on something completely new gives them another reason to tune in every week.
Then You Have the Nostalgia
Season 35 also has a huge nostalgia factor.
Taylor Hanson is probably the perfect example. As one-third of Hanson, Taylor has been part of pop culture since the band’s debut in the late 1990s. Yes, that Hanson. The one behind “MMMBop.”
Taylor Hanson on the ballroom floor is definitely something I did not have on my 2026 bingo card.
Taylor is dancing with Britt Stewart this season, and his casting brings another generation of viewers to the show. Someone who remembers Hanson from the ’90s can watch alongside someone who may know Taylor from TikTok or from hearing about the show online.
Tatyana Ali brings another major dose of nostalgia. Of course, she is best known for playing Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a show that has stayed popular long after it originally aired. She has also appeared on The Young and the Restless and Abbott Elementary. This season, she is dancing with Jan Ravnik.
That is one of the coolest things about this cast. Every celebrity seems to bring a different piece of pop culture with them.
The Athletes Bring a Whole Different Energy
Of course, we cannot forget the athletes.
Amber Glenn is competing with Pasha Pashkov after being part of the U.S. Figure Skating team that won gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Since figure skating already involves choreography, balance and performance, viewers were naturally interested to see how those skills would translate into ballroom dancing.
Ezra Frech is another athlete on the cast. He is a two-time Paralympian who competes in high jump, long jump and sprinting. Ezra won gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and is also a motivational speaker and disability rights advocate. He is partnered with Daniella Karagach.
Then there is Jackson Olson, who brings a completely different type of sports popularity to the show. He plays second base for the Savannah Bananas and has more than two million TikTok followers. His social media presence makes him especially interesting for a younger audience that may know him more from TikTok than baseball.
Social Media Makes Everything More Fun
This is where Dancing with the Stars really becomes a pop-culture show instead of just a dance competition.
You do not have to watch the entire episode anymore to know what happened. A dance can go viral on TikTok within minutes. Someone’s outfit can become an Instagram post. A judge’s comment can turn into a debate on X. Fans can make edits, rankings and reaction videos before the episode is even over.
The cast this season is especially built for that because so many of the celebrities already have online fan bases.
Connor Wood is a perfect example. He became popular as a stand-up comedian and podcaster and currently hosts Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast. He is partnered with Rylee Arnold.
Jackson Olson already has more than two million TikTok followers. Tyler Cameron has a massive reality TV following. Ciara Miller has fans from multiple reality shows. All of that means the competition continues long after the live episode ends.
People are not just watching. They are posting, commenting, voting, debating and choosing sides.
And Then There Are the Eliminations
Of course, you cannot talk about Dancing with the Stars without talking about eliminations.
Season 35 has already had some early exits, including Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader in Week 1 and Giada De Laurentiis in Week 2. Conner was known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, while Sarah Jane appeared on Hulu’s Love Thy Nader. Giada brought a completely different audience from her career as a celebrity chef and Food Network personality.
That is what makes the show so unpredictable. You can go into the season thinking someone is going to make it far, and then suddenly they are eliminated.
It also gives fans something to talk about every week. Was the elimination fair? Did the judges score someone too low? Should someone else have gone home?
Everyone has an opinion, and honestly, that is half the fun.
Why Season 35 Feels So Pop Culture
When you really think about it, Dancing with the Stars has almost everything you need for a pop-culture conversation. You have celebrities, reality TV, nostalgia, sports, social media, music, fashion, competition and plenty of opinions.
Season 35 takes that even further because the cast is so diverse. You can watch Jenna Dewan because you love Step Up, Harry Shum Jr. because you grew up watching Glee, Taylor Hanson for the nostalgia, and Ciara or Tyler Cameron because you love reality TV. Or you can discover someone completely new because their TikTok showed up on your For You Page.
That is what makes the show so easy to get invested in.
At the beginning of the season, you might just watch because you recognize one person. A few weeks later, you are suddenly defending your favorite celebrity, analyzing the judges’ scores and checking TikTok to see what everyone else thinks.
And that is exactly why Dancing with the Stars continues to work as a pop-culture phenomenon.
It is not just about who can dance.
It is about the celebrities, their stories, their fans and everything that happens once the cameras stop rolling. Season 35 has given viewers plenty of reasons to tune in, and with such a random but entertaining cast, there is always going to be someone to talk about.
So grab your snacks, pick your favorite celebrity and get ready for another season of sparkly costumes, questionable scores, impressive routines and way too much emotional investment in people dancing on a Monday night.
Because if Dancing with the Stars has taught us anything after 35 seasons, it is that everyone loves a little ballroom drama.
