If you’re hoping your favorite season 8 Love Islanders will be cast on the upcoming series of “Dancing with the Stars,” don’t get your hopes up. No one from the recent series of “Love Island USA” will be hitting the dancefloor and for a really good reason.
“DWTS” pro Ezra Sosa commented under Kenzie Annis’ first TikTok post after leaving the villa, “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.” Annis replied.
Kenzie was known for her splits during her “Love Island USA” and was formally a competitive dancer. “So every morning I wake up, I literally do my splits, like it gets rid of so much stress. If you just express that groin and lay, you will feel amazing,” she explained, per Cosmopolitan.
“I got to finally do my dance moves, and I got to show off a little bit, and I loved that. Like I was so happy,” she gushed during a Casa Amor challenge. But sadly, we won’t see her competing for a mirrorball.
Here is why Kenzie or any of the islanders won’t be joining Maura Higgins or Ciara Miller on season 35 of “Dancing With The Stars”
The Real Reason Love Islanders Don’t Appear On ‘Dancing With The Stars’
The Mirrorball won’t be in the sight of any new Islanders names this year, and that is not because “Dancing With The Stars” doesn’t want them.
It turns out Peacock has terms in their contracts that limit what Islanders can do within the first year after leaving the Villa. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that “Love Island USA” contestants are placed under a one-year exclusivity period, stopping them from appearing on other shows.
The Ankler noted that this “puts some guardrails around the opportunities [Islanders] can say yes to.” They also report that these contracts dictate what brand deals cast members can take on as well as what television appearances they can make.
“Contract-wise, I think it’s just that you can’t go on any shows a year after the finale,” season four “Love Island USA” star Deb Chubb revealed in a June TikTok.
That explains why many Islanders opt to join Peacock’s “Beyond the Villa” spinoff; as they’re unable to join any other reality show and are limited to who they can collaborate with.
Peacock declined to respond to The Hollywood Reporter, but a high-level TV source told the outlet that this is now standard procedure when casting a reality TV show. It gives the network or streamer veto power over any brand or commercial deals.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Doesn’t Shy Away From Reality TV
Love Islanders may not be on the next cast of “Dancing with the Stars”, but it doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.
DWTS casting head Deena Katz has openly admitted to embracing reality TV stars. Maura Higgins, who found fame on the UK version of the dating shows, is set to appear in season 35. Ciara Miller, who hosts the “Love Island” companion show “Aftersun”, is also appearing on the upcoming series.
Katz, also worked on casting “The Traitors,” where she worked with Ciara Miller. The “Summer House” star had been embroiled in a public scandal just before her casting was announced.
“I already knew Ciara. She was on Traitors, and she’s wonderful. She’s stunning, she’s gorgeous; she’s all these things,” Katz told The Hollywood Reporter in April when Miller was first announced. “And then the stuff that happened to her, it was a really of the moment thing that we all felt like it was the right time. We really wanted her on the show, but it was also the right time to announce her.”
