Derek Hough Knows Who Else Is Joining “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 and Says It’s ‘Going to Be a Great One’
Derek Hough Knows Who Else Is Joining “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 and Says It’s ‘Going to Be a Great One’
Brenton BlanchetTue, June 23, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC
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Derek Hough on 'Dancing with the Stars'Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney -
Dancing with the Stars is returning in the fall for season 35
In a new interview, Derek Hough teased a "really good cast"
Cast members who have already been announced include Jackson Olson, Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Guillermo Rodriguez
It's going to be a "great season" of Dancing with the Stars, at least according to Derek Hough.
The series judge, 41, shared in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, June 22 that he's "excited" for season 35 in the fall and revealed that he's already in the loop on this year's cast.
So far, ABC has announced Savannah Bananas standout Jackson Olson, Summer House's Ciara Miller, The Traitors runner-up Maura Higgins and Jimmy Kimmel Live star Guillermo Rodriguez for the new season. But Hough appears just as excited for the rest of the yet-to-be-announced cast.
"We have a really good cast. There are some people that I know are waiting in the wings," Hough said. "I've been told some of the people that are going to be on the next season. It's going to be a great one."
Ciara Miller; Maura Higgins; Guillermo RodriguezCredit: Griffin Nagel/BRAVO via Getty; Hoda Davaine/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Hough, who boarded DWTS in 2007 as a pro dancer, added that the show has been having a "momentum from the past two seasons."
"The celebrities are so excited to be on the show, to dance, to compete, to really get the full experience, and that dynamic of a celebrity who is wanting [to win] and really embracing it, that's what creates great seasons," he said.
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The most recent DWTS cast member announcement came on Wednesday, June 17, when Jimmy Kimmel revealed during Jimmy Kimmel Live! that his longtime costar Rodriguez, 55, would be joining the competition series. Kimmel called him "the first ever parking lot security guard to dance with the stars."
As for Miller, the Summer House star previously told PEOPLE she's looking forward to driving around Los Angeles for the show, since she usually walks around in New York City. "It'll be nice to have my own schedule, have like a very solid schedule, be able to go where I need to go," Miller, 30, said. "I'm looking forward to having that dance schedule, I feel like I used to have that when I was growing up."
The excitement around season 35 follows the show's successful 34th season, which drew 72 million votes for its finale — won by Robert Irwin and pro Witney Carson — and nearly half a billion votes throughout the season. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, which premieres on ABC on July 13, should also warm fans up for the competition.
The spin-off features "12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer" on season 35, according to a synopsis.
DWTS season 35 will premiere in the fall on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will stream next day on Hulu. The full cast of celebrities and pros will be announced Sept. 2, on Good Morning America.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
