It’s official! More celebrities will head to the ballroom this fall for season 34 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
The announcement was made on April 22, just three days after the final show of the Dancing with the Stars Live tour. The tour achieved immense success and was even extended to feature 88 total shows due to high demand. Each show primarily included new routines and skits featuring many of the current pros and a few celebrity finalists from the recent season.
The competition show, composed of dynamic celebrity and professional dancer duos, is not new. Dancing with the Stars has been running for nearly two decades, but its continued relevance now extends beyond the celebrity buzz, classic performances, and controversial judging.
The Dancing with the Stars show’s renewal is likely due to the new viewership it has gained in recent years. In a clip shared to TikTok by Good Morning America, the show celebrated the most viewer votes it had ever received in all 500 episodes during season 33, with a whopping 19 million votes.
Some people believe the show’s new attraction has come from the social media presence of the younger professional dancers who have joined it. Professional dancer Rylee Arnold, 19, from Seasons 32 and 33, is often credited with this recent popularity surge.
Additionally, the Dancing with the Stars cast has begun posting behind-the-scenes partner content more regularly, which has increased the show’s exposure and depth. Fans can better connect with the couples featured on the show now and are more invested in the voting process.
Celebrity and professional dancer pairings are usually announced closer to the season’s commencement. However, this year, fans saw potential pairings as wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, a.k.a. Steve Irwin’s son, was announced as the first celebrity to join Season 34.
The announcement was also made on April 22 during Hulu’s Get Real House event, which celebrated news for reality shows on ABC, Freeform, and Hulu, according to Hulu Press. Arnold and other popular Dancing with the Stars show members Julianne Hough, Alfonso Ribeiro, Derek Hough, and Ezra Sosa shared the stage for the announcement.
In a video shared to Access Hollywood’s TikTok, a shirtless Irwin took the Get Real stage with a snake around his neck, sharing his eagerness to participate in the show ever since he was a child. A decade ago, his older sister, Bindi, competed on season 21 of the show and won the Mirrorball trophy with her partner Derek Hough. Irwin explained how watching his sister made him dream of being a contestant on the show in the future.
Bindi expressed her excitement for her brother’s upcoming dance journey in an Instagram post. She wrote, “Robert, you are going to absolutely shine in the ballroom. I wish I could express how proud I am of you and everything you have achieved.”
Dancing with the Stars enthusiasts are eagerly wondering which pro dancer will be paired with Irwin? There is no official confirmation yet on any partnerships, and fans have been naming various pros to fit their ideal partnership. One of the more popular names being talked about as a potential pairing is Arnold, as she has expressed interest in being paired with him even before Irwin was announced as a contestant.
In an Entertainment Tonight interview on the red carpet of the Academy of Country Music Awards last May, Arnold mentioned Irwin when she was asked about future celebrity dance partners. Arnold said she has seen the potential of competing with Irwin since watching Bindi’s season when she was young.
“Robert’s like my age, I was like, please. He has to be on the show at least one day for me,” Arnold told Entertainment Tonight.
Although there is much more information to come on Irwin’s pairing and the future of the season, the idea of more ballroom dancing, iconic pairings, and fun social media videos has generated high energy. Dancing with the Stars pro Emma Slater summed it up best in an ecstatic post to her Instagram, where she wrote, “GUYS!!! DWTS IS BACK FOR SEASON 34!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO oh and did you hear that @robertirwinphotography is doing the show?”