Carrie Ann Inaba Hints at 'Dancing With the Stars' Format Shift on Disney+
Carrie Ann Inaba just revealed the biggest change coming to Dancing With the Stars as the longtime ABC show makes the shift to streaming exclusively on Disney+ for Season 31 this fall. The judge revealed in an interview with E! News that the voting structure of the show will change, although she didn't give specifics on how.
"It's a little bit different," she said of the Disney+ iteration of DWTS. "I think the difference is maybe live voting across the country." Dancing With the Stars has long been criticized for how its live voting is active only while the show is airing in Eastern and Central times, leaving West Coast viewers without the ability to vote on the night's performances unless they were willing to vote without seeing the dances.
"Maybe there's gonna be some things that will come along with the scripts that I think people are gonna love," continued Inaba of DWTS becoming Disney+'s first live-streaming series. "People don't always like change, but I think they'll adapt." One thing that won't be changing is Inaba's seat behind the judging panel. "I will be definitely there next season at the judges' table where I normally sit. I'm very excited about it," she confirmed, adding of the show's makeover, "I think it's going to be a really good change. After 30 seasons, some shows don't make it that far. The fact that we're still evolving and trying new things, it says a lot about our brand."
Inaba also teased host Tyra Banks could be returning for the new season, although the model has yet to confirm a reprise of her role. "Of course, we want Tyra!" Inaba said of the America's Next Top Model alum. "The thing about Dancing with the Stars is, once you're on our show, you're in the family. That's so precious. We truly are family. Not many shows are as close as we are."
Members of the Dancing With the Stars family have been weighing in since the Disney+ announcement about the change, with former pro Peta Murgatroyd telling PopCulture.com last month she was "happy" for the show to be making the "great move" to streaming. "I think that you've got to evolve. The show's been on for what ... they're going on the 31st season or something? So I mean, there's not many shows that can say that they've been on for that long," she said at the time.