Overview
- Julianne Hough and Bruno Tonioli recalled how the ballroom concept drew early doubts before ABC executive Andrea Wong greenlit the show in 2005.
- ABC has set Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, hosted by Season 34 champion Robert Irwin, as a talent hunt where 12 dancers live together and compete for a Season 35 pro slot.
- Deadline reports that Season 34 drew the show’s biggest audience in years, capped by its strongest finale in nearly a decade with gains from younger viewers.
- EntertainmentNow reports a July 13 ABC premiere for The Next Pro, with Mark and Shirley Ballas judging, and former troupe member Stephani Sosa among the hopefuls.
- Early Season 35 casting includes Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, and Jackson Olson, as the franchise leans into storytelling and real growth that Hough says have kept it timeless.