‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Seemingly Confirms Return to ABC Reality Series

Season 29 of Dancing With the Stars may have brought multiple changes following the ousting of Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews as hosts, but Season 30 will thankfully be lacking any major curveballs. As celebrities prepare to hit the dance floor and battle it out for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, Carrie Ann Inaba has confirmed that she will return as a judge in the upcoming season, which is set to premiere on ABC this fall.

Inaba confirmed her involvement in the beloved ABC dancing competition by way of an Instagram post hyping up the upcoming season. After ABC announced that Season 30 will premiere on Monday, Sept. 20, Inaba shared a photo of the show’s title card while also sharing the exciting news. Confirming that she will return as a judge, she wrote, “Bring on the ballroom. [DWTS] returns to ABC September 20 at 8|7c! I’ll be there! Will you? Who’s ready for our 30th season?”

Inaba has been a staple on the show since 2005, making her one of the original judges. However, there had been some concern that she would not return for Dancing With the Stars Season 30 after Inaba took a leave of absence from CBS’ daytime talk show The Talk in April. At the time, Inaba explained she was taking a leave of absence in order to focus on her health. Inaba, who suffers from multiple chronic illnesses, later said in a video that “health is the most precious gift we have” and she needs “to take care of mine.”

As Inaba later revealed plans to return to The Talk at some point in the future, stating that she was “feeling so good, feeling better by the day,” Tyra Banks, who replaced Bergeron and Andrews as host for DWTS Season 29, said she hoped to see Inaba back at the judge’s table. Asked by Entertainment Tonight whether or not Inaba would return, Banks said, “I hope so! She was there way before I was. So I’m gonna be begging her, ‘Please, Baby, please! You gonna be there, right?’”

Inaba will return as a judge alongside Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli as well as Derek Hough, who previously competed on the show as a professional dancer before returning as a judge. Banks will also return as host. Dancing With the Stars Season 30 premieres on ABC on Monday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET. Celebrities and their pro dancer partners for the upcoming season have not yet been announced.