On September 3, “Dancing With the Stars” fans finally found out which celebrities and professional dancers would be competing on Season 34. Some, such as Robert Irwin, Alix Earle, Jen Affleck, and Whitney Leavitt, had already been announced. But it was exciting to see many rumored contestants confirmed.
But Carrie Ann Inaba was missing from the big “Good Morning America” reveal. However, despite the longtime judge’s absence, she’s been officially confirmed for Season 34.
Carrie Ann Inaba Not on GMA, But She’s Definitely Coming Back for Season 34
While judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were on GMA for the cast reveal, many noticed that Carrie Ann Inaba wasn’t. On the show’s Instagram video, one DWTS fan asked, “No Carrie Ann?” Another fan quickly responded.
“She couldn’t make it to the GMA announcement, but she will be there when the show starts,” she wrote.
It isn’t clear why Inaba couldn’t make it, nor has she responded to those questioning her absence. Her last Instagram post was a throwback photo of her, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli, in which she reminisced about them being “just babies” at their first photo shoot 20 years ago.
Others thought that her Instagram story from a week ago had something to do with her absence. On August 27, she posted a photo to her stories titled “DWTS Season 34 Male Pros,” featuring a photo of all the male dancers that were announced on GMA. “Okay… Let’s go Season 34 Make [Male] Pros!” She commented underneath. She deleted it shortly after, but many took screenshots and shared it on Reddit.
“Not Carrie Ann breaking her NDA,” a Redditor wrote.
“I’m laughing!!! She’s definitely not allowed to be posting that stuff but she is,” commented another.
Whatever her reason for missing out, most fans are happy that Inaba will be returning.
Why ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Continues to Captivate
When “Dancing With the Stars” premiered in 2005, things were much different from what they are now. We didn’t even have iPhones yet.
“There was no Twitter, there was [barely any] social media,” showrunner Conrad Green told TV Insider. “The celebrity landscape has changed enormously. Even television has changed, but the core concepts of what makes a good contestant and what makes someone relatable are the same now as they were 20 years ago.”
However, while some things change, the reason people keep tuning into the show remains the same.
“Thankfully, people love to be inspired and watch somebody that they can relate to,” Inaba said. “Just getting out on our dance floor is winning.”
