Dancing With the Stars has announced the first two celebrity contestants who will be taking to the ballroom for Season 35.
Love Island and The Traitors star Maura Higgins will be tearing up the dance floor with Summer House‘s Ciara Miller in the upcoming season of the ABC ballroom dance competition show, Hulu announced Wednesday at the Get Real event.
Videos by PopCulture.com
A full cast of celebrities and their pro dancer partners will be announced at a later date, with Season 35 set to premiere this fall on ABC and Disney+.
Higgins first appeared on the fifth season of Love Island back in 2019, but she recently reentered the spotlight this year on Season 4 of The Traitors, where she ultimately lost to Love Island USA‘s Rob Rausch. Rausch then apologized for betraying her on the show by gifting Higgins a Birkin bag.
“She went from looking for love to looking for who to trust, and now she’s looking to win the Mirrorball,” Dancing With the Stars wrote on Instagram Wednesday while announcing Higgins would be competing on Season 35. “We’re welcoming @maurahiggins to #DWTS on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu this fall!”
Miller’s casting comes amid a scandal in the Bravoverse, as her Summer House co-stars, ex West Wilson and close friend Amanda Batula, recently confirmed their romance amid Batula’s separation from husband Kyle Cooke. The cast is set to address the state of things in the upcoming Season 10 reunion.
“Everyone’s been talking about what her next move will be. It’s going to be in the ballroom,” Dancing With the Stars wrote on social media of Miller’s casting. Miller herself also shared an announcement video that shows her checking off “prioritizing myself” and “taking risks” on her “next chapter 2026” to-do list before ultimately crossing out “Dancing With the Stars!!”
“See you in the ballroom,” Miller tells the camera before taking a twirl.
The announcement comes on the heels of a milestone 34th season of Dancing With the Stars, which brought in 72 million votes during the finale. Ultimately, Robert Irwin and pro Witney Carson walked away with the Mirrorball Trophy, and Hulu announced on Wednesday that Irwin will host a new series, Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.
The series, which premieres on July 13 on ABC, will feature “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, as per the network.
Dancing With the Stars pro Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley Ballas, will judge the competition alongside a rotating panel of guest judges.
More Reality
-
Photo by Ser Baffo/Disney via Getty Images) -
Photo by Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images -
Mel B at the "America's Got Talent" Season 21 Red Carpet held at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 24, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images) -
“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
“A Side Dish of Chaos” – One castaway comes clean to the tribe about a previously deceptive move. The crowd favorite SURVIVOR auction returns, with an extra special season 50 spin. Chaos ensues when social media icon MrBeast arrives on the scene, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, April 29 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 28: West Wilson, Amanda Batula and Jesse Solomon attend Bravo's "Summer House" Season 10 at 92NY on January 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
