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America September 2, 2026 4 mins read

Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast Revealed With Olympians, Actors and a Banana Ball Player

America ı By Tyler Brooks

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The Mirrorball Trophy has a new crop of hopefuls chasing it. "Dancing With the Stars" unveiled its newest competing cast Wednesday, and the lineup reads like a grab bag pulled from every corner of pop culture — entertainers, reality television veterans, and athletes spanning gold medalists to a player from baseball's gimmick-filled Savannah Bananas.

Standout Names in the Lineup

Among this year's 16 celebrity contestants are actor Julia Stiles, Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, and longtime "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" fixture Guillermo Rodriguez. Reality personality Sarah Jane Nader will dance alongside partner Hailey Bills, marking just the third same-sex pairing in the show's entire history.

Season Details and Returning Faces

Season 35 premieres on ABC across two nights, Sept. 15 and 16, with hosting duties handled by Alfonso Ribeiro and former "DWTS" professional dancer Julianne Hough. The judging panel remains unchanged from previous seasons, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough all returning to their familiar seats.

Meet the Full Celebrity Cast

Tatyana Ali

Best remembered for playing Ashley Banks — sister to Ribeiro's own character Carlton — on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the 47-year-old Ali has built a career spanning acting, singing, producing and entrepreneurship. She'll dance with partner Jan Ravik.

Tyler Cameron

The 33-year-old general contractor first found fame as a contestant on the 2019 season of "The Bachelorette," and has since bounced between several other reality programs. He'll partner with Sharna Burgess.

Giada de Laurentiis

The 56-year-old celebrity chef debuted as a Food Network personality in the early 2000s, building her brand around Italian cooking, and has since published nearly a dozen cookbooks. She'll dance alongside Alan Bersten.

Jenna Dewan

A professional dancer whose career began in Janet Jackson music videos, the 45-year-old Dewan went on to star in the 2006 dance film "Step Up" and currently appears on ABC's "The Rookie." She'll partner with Val Chmerkovskiy.

Ezra Frech

At just 21, Paralympian Ezra Frech already carries a résumé most athletes twice his age would envy, having won gold medals in the 100-meter and high jump at the 2024 Paris Games, while also competing in long jump. Born missing parts of his left leg, he underwent above-the-knee amputation as a child. He'll dance with Daniella Karagach.

Amber Glenn

The 26-year-old figure skater helped Team USA capture gold in the team event at February's Milan Cortina Olympics. Known for her triple axels on the ice, she's also an outspoken LGBTQ+ activist off it. She'll partner with Pasha Pashkov.

Taylor Hanson

Hanson, 43, first found fame as a child performing alongside his brothers in the band Hanson, best known for the hit single "MMMBop." He's also performed with the supergroup Tinted Windows, joined by bandmates from Cheap Trick, Smashing Pumpkins and Fountains of Wayne. He'll dance with Britt Stewart.

Maura Higgins

Higgins, 35, built her name on the U.K. version of "Love Island" before crossing over to host the U.S. franchise. She recently finished as a runner-up on NBC's "The Traitors." She'll partner with Mark Ballas.

Conner Leavitt

The 32-year-old first appeared on the reality series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" as the husband of star Whitney Leavitt, herself a former "DWTS" contestant. He recently performed in the off-Broadway production "11 to Midnight." He'll dance with Adele Zaikman.

Ciara Miller

A fan-favorite face from Bravo's "Summer House," the 30-year-old Miller previously worked as an ICU nurse and has also appeared on "The Traitors." She'll partner with Brandon Armstrong.

Sarah Jane Nader

The 23-year-old Nader currently stars in the Hulu reality series "Love Thy Nader," alongside her sisters — including model Brooks Nader, another former "DWTS" contestant. She'll partner with Hailey Bills.

Jackson Olson

The 28-year-old Olson plays second base for the Savannah Bananas, the team credited with pioneering Banana Ball, a uniquely entertaining, gimmick-heavy spin on traditional baseball. He'll dance with Emma Slater.

Guillermo Rodriguez

The 55-year-old longtime Jimmy Kimmel sidekick began his career working as a security guard before becoming a fixture of Kimmel's show and its recurring segments for more than two decades. He'll partner with Witney Carson.

Harry Shum Jr.

Another trained dancer from the "Step Up" film franchise, the 44-year-old Shum broke out on "Glee" and later appeared in the Oscar-winning "Everything Everywhere All at Once." He currently stars on "Grey's Anatomy." He'll dance with Jenna Johnson.

Julia Stiles

Stiles, 45, remains best known for iconic teen movie roles in "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Save the Last Dance." She continues acting and made her feature directorial debut last year with "Wish You Were Here." She'll partner with Ezra Sosa.

Connor Wood

Wood, 30, is a comedian and podcaster who built an online following under the moniker "Fibula." He'll dance with Rylee Arnold.

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Tyler Brooks

Tyler is covering the intersection of law, finance, and public policy. With a keen eye for regulatory shifts and market trends, he brings clarity to complex issues shaping the global economy, and drama whenever possible.

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