“Dancing with the Stars” is back for season 35 with a two-night premiere, 16 celebrity contestants and an unusual elimination format that will send stars home almost immediately.
The ABC competition returns Tuesday, Sept. 15, before continuing Wednesday, Sept. 16. The male celebrities will perform on the first night to No. 1 songs from the years they were born, while the female contestants will take the ballroom the following night with the same challenge.
There will also be little time to settle into the competition. One male and one female contestant will be eliminated at the end of each night.
Ahead of the first performances, ActionNetwork.com released its season 35 winner and first-elimination odds, with Harry Shum Jr. emerging as the early favorite.
Harry Shum Jr. Leads DWTS Season 35 Winner Odds
Shum, an actor and dancer known for “Glee,” “Shadowhunters,” and currently he stars on “Grey’s Anatomy,” enters the season with +376 odds to win, representing an implied probability of 21%, according to ActionNetwork.com.
Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn follows at +455, or an implied probability of 18%. Actress and dancer Jenna Dewan sits third at +488, representing 17%.
An ActionNetwork.com spokesperson pointed to the three celebrities’ performance backgrounds when discussing their early positions.
“Harry Shum Jr. leads the pack as the favorite to win season 35 of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ with odds of +376, and it is no surprise given his well-known dance background and the physicality he brings from years of choreographed work on ‘Glee’,” the spokesperson said.
“Amber Glenn isn’t far behind with odds of +455 to win, drawing on the skills that come with being an Olympic figure skater, while Jenna Dewan rounds out the top three with odds of +488 to win thanks to her professional dance training and prior experience leading dance-centric projects like Step Up.”
Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech and Savannah Bananas second baseman Jackson Olson are tied behind the top three at +800, giving each an implied probability of 11%. Julia Stiles follows at +900, or 10%.
Giada De Laurentiis Faces Tough Odds Ahead of First DWTS Elimination
The first-elimination odds tell a different story, particularly for celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis.
De Laurentiis is at +100 to be the first contestant eliminated, giving her an implied probability of 50%. “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” cast member Conner Leavitt follows at +113, or 47%.
Tatyana Ali ranks next at +245, representing an implied probability of 29%, followed by “Love Thy Nader” star Sarah Jane Nader at +257, or 28%. Hanson musician Taylor Hanson rounds out the top five at +285, giving him an implied probability of 26%.
“On the other end of the spectrum, Giada De Laurentiis has the highest probability of getting eliminated first from the dance floor with odds of +100; her background as a celebrity chef and entrepreneur simply hasn’t required the kind of rhythmic or performance training the other frontrunners bring to the ballroom,” the ActionNetwork.com spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also cautioned against assuming the numbers will translate directly to the ballroom.
“However, the competition can be unpredictable, and Giada could easily surprise everyone once the ballroom lights come up for episode one.”
De Laurentiis also shares the longest winner odds with Ali at +9900, representing an implied probability of 1% for each contestant.
Season 35 will feature Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returning as hosts. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough will return to the judging table as the 16 celebrities and their professional partners begin the competition.
