Now that the full “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 cast has been revealed, fans are eagerly discussing which celebrity is most likely to bring home the Mirrorball trophy.
This year, 16 couples are competing — eight women celebrities and eight male.
Ahead of the season premiere, ABC teased there would be a special twist. There premiere is less than a week away and more answers are coming to light.
At the end of the season 35 premiere, two contestants will leave the competition.
Two Couples Will Leave During Week One on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Double eliminations on “Dancing With the Stars” aren’t uncommon. But they don’t typically happen during the first week.
During the new episode of Hulu’s “Get Real” podcast, host Amanda Hirsch delivered information that caught listeners off guard.
There will be a double elimination during the two-night premiere. All the male celebrities will compete on one night, and the women will compete the other. At the end of each episode, one couple will be eliminated.
“This is a first,” guest Mark Ballas admitted on the show. “It’s not even an even playing field, right? It’s, like, the cast is split in half. They’re, kind of, like, ‘Boys over there, girls over here, one of you is going from each group.’ So, that’s a little different.”
“That is so scary,” his dance partner, Maura Higgins, chimed in. “Yeah, I have to work hard.”
For the past several weeks, the season 35 contestants have been hard at work in the rehearsal room. Everyone will need to step up their game if they want to proceed in the competition.
The Season 35 Cast Rallies Fans on Social Media
Each season of “Dancing With the Stars” comes with new twists and turns. After a wildly successful 34th season, the network is eagerly searching for more ways to get viewers engaged. This year, contestants were reportedly required to build a heavy social media presence.
“Following last year’s uptick in votes and all the records broken from the amount of votes that came in, the producers are emphasizing social media more so this season than any other year,” one source told The Sun.
“They spoke to prospective cast members about how social media would be a larger, and now mandatory, part of the process when choosing who to cast,” the insider shared.
Of course, not every perspective celebrity contestant felt comfortable with the new requirements. However, the ones who made the cast list seem more than happy to keep engagement levels high. Since the “Good Morning America” announcement, the pros and their celebrity partners have been making several hilarious TikToks and reels for social media.
Higher engagement levels will certainly result in more viewers voting for their favorite performers. Fans will need to continue voting to keep their top contestants in the competition.
The first night of the “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 premiere begins at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15 on ABC. The second episode begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16 on the network.
