Sophie Rogers
Contributing Writer
The new season began on Sept. 16. This is the show’s 34th season.
The show features a brand new cast full of actors, athletes, celebrities and influencers. There were 14 stars at the beginning of the show. As we enter week three only 12 contestants remain.
Alix Earle is an influencer with over 7 million followers on Tiktok. Earle is most famous for her “Get Ready with Me” videos. Andy Richter is a famous comedian who has been in the business for years. He is most famous for his role on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
Baron Davis is a former NBA player, previously playing for five different teams. His career went on for 13 years and tried his hand at the dancing world. Davis has since been eliminated. The other athlete, Jordan Chiles, is an Olympic gold medalist, earning her medal in the 2024 games. Chiles’ previous experience may be able to help her on the dance floor.
Cory Feldman is a child star, most famous for his role in “The Goonies.” Feldman has a singing career in addition to his acting career. Feldman was eliminated in week 2. The other child star, Danielle Fishel, played Topanga on “Boy Meets World” and then again on “Girl Meets World.” Nostalgia may win her the vote from some viewers.
Dylan Efron is the brother of actor Zach Efron. He is a participant and a winner of the NBC show, “The Traitors.” Elaine Hendrix is an actress most recognizable for her role as the stepmother in, “The Parent Trap.” Hendrix has been active on social media, posting videos from each of her rehearsals.
Hilaria Baldwin is a reality star, starring with her family in their own show “The Baldwins.” Baldwin is a former ballroom dancer making fans question if she should be allowed on the show. Lauren Jauregui is a former band member of the band, Fifth Harmony. Jauregui has teased dancing to one of her own songs for TikTok night.
Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt are both on the show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Their show follows their lives as Mormon mom influencers. Scott Hoying is a vocalist for the group Pentatonix. The group’s YouTube channel has 20.5 million subscribers.
Robert Irwin is a zookeeper and animal activist. He is the son of the late Steve Irwin. He has been at the top of the leaderboards for the first two weeks of the show. His sister Bindi, is a previous Mirrorball winner.
“The new season is very intriguing and has me on the edge of my seat every Tuesday night. I think it has a great cast of people. It is exciting to see all the behind the scenes videos on TikTok. I think Robert Irwin is going to win the show. His dances blew me away,” said Courtney Spence.
As someone who has been watching “Dancing with the Stars” for as long as I can remember, I am loving the new season. The stars are recognizable, making me want to tune in each week. The music this season is also on point. The music is fun and makes the dances unique.
As for a winner, Irwin has my vote. On his first night, he came out with so much energy and gave it his all. His dance was very impressive for a first dance. If he does not win I believe that Leavitt will win. I was not expecting much from her but she shocked me on that first episode. It seems that each week she adds something new to her dances.
For more information on the show and to vote for contestants, visit abc.com/shows and select “Dancing with the Stars.” The show airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC or stream it live on Disney+.