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Dancing with the Stars season 35 cast line-up unveiled including 10 Things I Hate About You legend and new Blind Date host

Maura Higgins and Julia Stiles lead a star-studded line-up.

A large group of people posing on a stage decorated with glittering gold patterns and a large disco ball.

HEIDI GUTMAN/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images

Published: Thursday, 3 September 2026 at 10:11 am

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The full celebrity line-up for Dancing with the Stars season 35 has been unveiled, with Love Island favourite and incoming Blind Date host Maura Higgins joining '90s movie icon Julia Stiles among the 16 contestants confirmed for the ABC competition.

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The pairings were revealed on Good Morning America ahead of the live two-night premiere taking place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September on ABC and Disney+ for audiences in the US.

Higgins, who rose to fame on Love Island in 2019 and has since appeared on The Traitors US, was announced only days before as the host of a Blind Date revival for Disney+. The streamer confirmed the reimagined version of the classic ITV dating show, which originally ran from 1985 to 2003 and was fronted by the late Cilla Black, with the reboot set to air in 2027. On Dancing with the Stars she is partnered with professional Mark Ballas, whom she previously starred alongside on the latest season of The Traitors US.

Maura Higgins smiling with her head slightly turned over her shoulder as she poses for a photo.

Maura Higgins. Katie Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Julia Stiles, best known to a generation of fans for 10 Things I Hate About You alongside her roles in Save the Last Dance and the Bourne films, will dance with Ezra Sosa.

They are joined by a mix of actors, athletes and reality TV stars. Jenna Dewan, who began her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and later hosted World of Dance, is paired with Val Chmerkovskiy, while Glee and Grey's Anatomy actor Harry Shum Jr is paired with Jenna Johnson.

The full season 35 celebrity and professional pairings are as follows:

Last year's champion Witney Carson returns to the ballroom, partnered with Jimmy Kimmel Live sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez. The season also marks the return of professional dancer Sharna Burgess, who returns after five years and is paired with Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro winner Adele Zaikman joins the professional ranks and is paired with Conner Leavitt.

Leavitt has quickly become a reality star in his own right, best known as a recurring star on Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where he appears alongside his wife Whitney Leavitt, who became a fan favourite during last year's Dancing with the Stars.

Dancing with the Stars is available to watch on Disney+ from Tuesday 15 September 2026. You can sign up to Disney+ from £4.99 a month.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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