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If you are one of the many fans that can’t get enough of celebrities and reality stars competing against each other with theme nights and choreographed dancing, then you can exhale, because the ABC and Disney+ hit reality show Dancing With the Stars has officially announced it will return for a 34th season. As soon as The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson shimmied home with the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy for their fancy moves on the dance floor, viewers were wondering who would be given a chance to shake their tail feathers for a chance to win the coveted trophy during the next season. Die-hard fans of the show are in for a special treat because, according to TV Insider, not only will the new season premiere on Tuesday, September 16th, but ABC and Disney+ are in partnership with Hulu, which means the show will air the following day on the streaming platform. Diehard DWTS fans are used to the celebrity dancers being announced closer to the premiere, but this year ABC chose to release the identities of four of the contestants early to create some buzz for the new season. Robert Irwin, a 21-year-old wildlife conservationist, and the son of the original crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, was the first star announced to star in the upcoming season. Robert was an obvious choice because his sister Bindi was on the show when she was just 17 years old. Bindi was paired with dancer Derek Hough and the two won the trophy that season. Because she was only 17 years old, there were grumblings about her winning a cash prize, but in the spirit of their family legacy, Bindi donated her winnings to wildlife conservation. Robert could be a contender to pay attention to as his older sister has probably shared her secrets for a successful season.
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This year, Dancing With the Stars has also pulled cast members from the social media sphere. TikTok beauty and lifestyle influencer Alix Earle was cast this season, keeping in line with the network’s desire to appeal to a younger and more social media-driven audience. Alix is widely known for her unfiltered approach to beauty hacks and life as a young college student. The other announced cast members are also TikTok influencers like Alix: Whitney Leavitt and Jennifer Affleck from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives were cast for Season 34. The ladies from the Hulu reality series are part of a group of sexy Utah-based moms that share their lives via TikTok (MomTok) and amassed a huge following. In 2024, the series was Hulu’s most watched unscripted series, explaining why Disney and ABC were excited to cast the ladies, hoping to connect with that grassroots audience. With television and streaming services becoming more and more competitive, DWTS is one of the few shows to have survived the twenty-year mark. The dance competition series premiered in 2005, making this the official 20th anniversary. With social media influencers and hit reality stars on board, DWTS is fighting to stay relevant in a landscape leaning more towards social media influencers than anything. The rest of the cast will be announced over the upcoming weeks with even bigger names bound to be revealed. Dancing With the Stars returns with Season 34 on September 16th.
Source: TV Insider
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