Overview
- Ezra Sosa raised the issue in a since-deleted TikTok and in a People interview at the DWTS Convention, saying some pros repeatedly get top celebrity partners.
- Sosa named Pasha Pashkov and Britt Stewart as examples of pros he wants to see paired with front-runners so they can reach the finale and showcase their choreography.
- Executive producers Deena Katz and Conrad Green responded publicly by explaining that pairings are finalized at the first rehearsal when producers assess chemistry and that they try to vary matchups.
- The conversation has played out on social media and in entertainment coverage as the show prepares a larger season 35 cast that will reveal whether pairing patterns change.
- Pairings matter for pros’ careers because strong celebrity partners bring more screen time and a chance to perform a finale freestyle, and fans and cast members say social posts can quickly turn internal casting choices into public disputes.