The hit reality TV show, ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ has announced its season 34 star-studded cast. As someone who recently became obsessed with the show – thank you Xochitl Gomez for introducing me – I have a few opinions on who I think is going to reach the finals and who is getting the boot out early. Based on things like movement skill, age, and simply who I think has got the it factor, here are my rankings:
The Early Leavers
This section is the contestants that I believe are going to leave the show in the earlier weeks.
Hilaria Baldwin and Pro Gleb Savchenko.
I have this pairing at the bottom because personally, I don’t think Savchenko is a good enough teacher, and Baldwin isn’t a good enough learner. Not only is she one of the most controversial contestants this year, but on top of that, Savchenko seems to simply oversexualize dances with his partner in hopes of that being enough to get them high scores. Of course, this is coming off of his very controversial season last year with reality star Brooks Nader, which means that I definitely don’t see them getting votes. Overall, neither of them is giving me winner vibes, and also, I’m not feeling like they are gonna give much energy into it. I’d be very surprised if they make it past week four.
Corey Feldman and Pro Jenna Johnson
Listen, I LOVE Jenna Johnson, and as we all know, she had an incredible season last year – winning the Mirrorball with bachelor star Joey Graziadei – but unfortunately, I don’t think she will have the same luck this season. Feldman, famous for his role in the 1985 comedy ‘The Goonies’, is unfortunately not who I see winning this season. Given his older age, 54 years old, and simply that he doesn’t seem to have much dancing or anything involving music experience, I can unfortunately see him leaving the show quite early. There is a part of me that believes Feldman can totally shock everyone and prove himself, mostly due to Johnson’s incredible choreography and teaching abilities, but until then, I predict that Feldman may be an early dismissal.
Andy Richter and Pro Emma Slater
Sweetheart pro Emma Slater seems to be constantly paired with older contestants that, unfortunately, don’t really seem to stand a chance at winning the Mirrorball. Richter, a famous comedian and actor, is also on the older end, being 58 years old. That, plus the fact that he has no previous experience with dancing or any body movement that could help him in the competition. I’m sure that even if he doesn’t have the hips to get him to the top of the leaderboard, he seems to have all the necessary attributes to make him a fan favorite. Either way, he seems like a very fun, wholesome person that I know Slater will have a lot of fun dancing and choreographing with.
Baron Davis and Pro Britt Stewart
NBA fans will be quite happy to see another retired basketball player take to the dance floor. 2x All-Star Baron Davis has quite the large shoes to fill as he enters the show, since the franchise is no stranger to basketball players– Dwight Howard and Lamar Odom,just to name a few— and other famous athletes. Of course, his strength and footwork background can be an advantage on the show, which is why I don’t think that he will be an early leaver, but it can also be difficult to break athletes out of their stiffness to get to the rhythmic movements ballroom dancing requires. I’m very excited to see Davis and Stewart take to the dance floor. It is always a delight to see a POC couple compete in the show.
The Middle Grounders
This section is the contestants that I don’t think will be incredible but also not terrible, staying on the middle ground.
Dylan Efron and Pro Daniella Karagach
Now, if that last name sounds familiar, it is because this contestant is the brother of famous actor Zac Efron. If you’re anything like me, you probably didn’t even know Efron had a brother, but he does, and he is competing as a contestant on the show this season! I have him in the middle ground because I don’t think he’ll be terrible, but he doesn’t seem like the type to excel in the competition either. Karagach is also one of the top pros in my opinion, so I also think that with her guidance and choreography, we can see this pairing go far, but not far enough. He is a former competitive athlete and an IRONMAN All-World athlete, and as we have seen in previous seasons, athletes can either really shine on the show or lose terribly. These reasons have made me believe that Efron will most likely land in the middle of the bunch.
Alix Earle and Pro Val Chmerkovskiy
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years – or if you’re over 30 – you know who Alix Earle is. With a very impressive 7.5 million followers on TikTok, Earle has taken over the platform with her videos and has taken that fame to the dance floor. The reason that I have Earle in the middle ground is because, from what I know about her, she isn’t someone that I can see taking this competition very seriously. Now, of course, the whole point of this show is to teach non-dancers how to dance, but that also requires a certain level of dedication. There is nothing wrong with having fun with the show’s competitive nature, but at the end of the day, it is still a competition. I can see Earle staying in for a couple of weeks, but I don’t see her making it to the finale even though Chmerkovskiy won only two seasons ago.
Jen Affleck and Pro Jan Ravnik
Fans of the ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ will have two reasons to watch this season of DWTS as Jen Affleck joins the show– alongside co-star Whitney Leavitt– with the show’s newest pro, Jan Ravnik. Personally, I don’t think that Affleck is going to be one of the show’s finalists but there is just something about her that makes me think that she can make it towards the latter half of the competition. From what I’ve heard of Affleck, it seems like she has no prior dance experience outside of silly TikTok dances but she does have an infectious energy that she brings to everything that she does. I also can’t speak much on her pro, Jan Ravnik, because he is a newcomer to DWTS but Taylor Swift fans will recognize him as one of her background dancers for the Eras Tour. Overall, I’m excited to see what this pairing is going to bring to the dance floor even if they don’t end up holding the Mirrorball in the end.
Lauren Jauregui and Pro Brandon Armstrong
Also in the middle ground, I have former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui. The reason why I have Jauregui in the middle ground is because we all know that Fifth Harmony wasn’t known for their incredible dance moves. While I’m sure that Jauregui won’t be the worst dancer amongst the rest of the competition, I also doubt that she is one of the best. Armstrong has proven himself to have a very unique choreography style and amazing teaching abilities, so I know that he will have a lot of fun with Jauregui. I can see them dominating certain dances – including the Cha-Cha and Jive – but I unfortunately don’t see them holding up that Mirrorball either.
Elaine Hendrix and Pro Alan Bersten
Actress Elain Hendrix is most known for her role as Meredith Blake in the 1998 remake ‘The Parent Trap’ as well as other popular TV shows. Personally, I think that Hendrix has a really good chance to grow throughout the course of the show, but I don’t know if I can see her making it to the finale. Reasons for this start with the fact that she is also on the older end of the competition at 54 years old, but also because she doesn’t seem to have any experience in anything that might give her a leg up on the show. Bersten is one of my personal favorite pros, bringing a fun aspect to the show that I believe other pros don’t, so I have no doubt that he and Hendrix will have a wonderful competition, but besides that, I can’t see them going very far.
Scott Hoying and Pro Rylee Arnold
Singer in the famous a cappella band, Pentatonix, Scott Hoying, is joining this year’s celebs alongside Pro Rylee Arnold. I think that Hoying has a very good chance to make it far in this year’s season. He’s no stranger to music and rhythm – both necessary in his field of work – while also having a very good partner on his side. Arnold is on her third season as a Pro and has worked very well with other contestants in the past, even making it to the finale last season with Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. I have him here because, while I do think that they could do really well, I also think that the competition is really hard this year, and unfortunately, there are more people that I believe are going to do better. I would absolutely love to see Arnold make it to another finale and even win, but I just don’t think that this is going to happen this time. But, I still think that Hoying and Arnold are going to be one of the most fun couples to watch, which I cannot wait for.
The Top
Lastly, we have the contestants that I believe have what it takes to make it far in the competition and maybe even to hold up that Mirrorball trophy in the end.
Danielle Fishel and Pro Pasha Pashkov
There is just something about this pairing that really makes me see them going very far into the competition. Fishel is a famous actress, most notably known for her role as Topanga in the popular ’90s TV show ‘Boy Meets World’ and its Disney Channel reboot ‘Girl Meets World.’ Despite having no dance experience, so far, what I’ve seen is a lot of dedication and care for the competition itself. Pashkov is also an incredibly talented dancer/teacher who has been able to take his partners very far into the competition. Pashkov has yet to win a Mirrorball, but he made it to 3rd place on Season 32 with Ariana Madix, so I really feel like this could be his year with Fishel.
Jordan Chiles and Pro Ezra Sosa
Olympic Gold Medalist Gymnast Jordan Chiles will join Pro Eza Sosa for his second season as a pro on the show, and I think they have a very good chance at winning the Mirrorball. Gymnasts always do really well on the show – Laurie Hernandez won in 2016, and Simone Biles made it to the semi-finals during season 24 – due to their experience in body movement and musicality. Sosa didn’t really get a fair shot last season during his debut as a pro on the show, so I was very excited when I saw that he was paired with Chiles for this season. Chiles – who recently competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics – is very well known for her incredible spring floor routines where she infuses dance moves into her routine. I think that this season will definitely give Sosa a better shot at proving how good a teacher and choreographer he can be, and will get him to the finale alongside Chiles.
Whitney Leavitt and Pro Mark Ballas
‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ star and “MomToker” Whitney Leavitt is joining her co-star Jen Affleck on the dance floor this season alongside Pro Mark Ballas, who is making his return to the show as a pro. Since Leavitt was announced as a contestant, I knew that no matter who she was paired up with, she was going to make it far in the competition. Leavitt majored in dance during her time in college at BYU, graduating in 2018. This not only gives her a leg up in the competition, which is a major point of controversy, but also will help Ballas as well while teaching/choreographing. Ballas is also one of the greatest Pros to ever be a part of the show, and he is no stranger to TikTokers, winning season 31 in 2022 with TikToker Charli D’Amelio. Together, they make an incredible pairing that is going to be very hard to beat (in my opinion).
Robert Irwin and Pro Witney Carson
Last, but certainly not least, we have famous Australian zookeeper and TV presenter Robert Irwin joining this season’s cast alongside pro Witney Carson. I have Irwin at the top because I truly think that he’s got what it takes to win that Mirrorball and sweep the competition. Irwin is following in his older sister, Bindi Irwin’s footsteps, competing and winning Dancing With The Stars season 21 with Pro Derek Hough, who is now a judge on the show. Not only do I think that the sibling rivalry between the Irwins is strong enough to propel Robert Irwin to the top, but I also think that it shows that this family can be very dedicated to the competition, which is a very vital part of winning the Mirrorball. Carson is also a very talented Pro who has one of my favorite choreographies in recent seasons and who is definitely due for another win soon. Together, I think Irwin and Carson can give us a blonde baddie duo holding up the Mirrorball in the end. (He is also very nice to look at, so I hope he stays as long as possible).
Despite whether I end up being right or wrong, I am very excited for this season of ‘Dancing With The Stars’. Catch me on my couch watching the premiere on September 16th and if all goes as I want it to, Robert Irwin will be holding up the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy at the end of the competition. Here’s to dancing, having fun, and a great competition for Season 34!