The Mirrorball Trophy champion will compete in season 35, which premieres on Sept. 15
Credit: ABC/Maarten de Boer
NEED TO KNOW
- Dancing with the Stars announced the return of pro Sharna Burgess
- The former champion makes her return in season 35 after five years away, as revealed on Good Morning America
- The remaining celebrity contestants and professional dancers will be unveiled on GMA on Wednesday, Sept. 2
Sharna Burgess is headed back to the ballroom.
On Monday, Aug. 24, Good Morning America revealed that the Dancing with the Stars pro will be returning for season 35, five years after she left the series.
The next season of DWTS will mark the first season back for Burgess, 41, since season 30 in 2021, when she competed alongside fiancé Brian Austin Green.
“A little birdie told us an absolute firecracker is back in the ballroom. Please give @sharnaburgess a warm welcome on her return as a #DWTS pro,” the official DWTS page shared on Instagram.
Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty
Burgess made her debut as a DWTS pro during season 16 in 2013, after joining the troupe for season 13 in 2011. She won the Mirrorball Trophy alongside Bobby Bones in season 27.
Throughout her initial run, she competed with the likes of Andy Dick, Antonio Brown, Nick Carter, Jesse Metcalfe and more.
Burgess is the second pro to join the DWTS season 35 cast, following two-time Len Goodman Mirrorball Champion Witney Carson, who most recently won season 34 with partner Robert Irwin. Burgess’ celebrity partner has not yet been announced.
During the Aug. 17 broadcast of Good Morning America, Carson revealed she will be paired with Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez this season. “Dude, I was so stoked,” Carson said on GMA. “I think he is so sweet. He’s so fun. That’s exactly what I need in this season of life that I’m in, just someone who’s fun, personable.”
Credit: ABC/Maarten de Boer
Other celebrity participants who will compete on the dance floor include Summer House star Ciara Miller, Love Island UK alum Maura Higgins and Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson. The remaining stars and pro dancers will be unveiled on GMA on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
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In April 2026, Miller spoke with PEOPLE about preparing for the dance competition, saying she is going to “more yoga classes, more Pilates classes.”
“I might start running again because I need to get my stamina up and have some type of endurance,” she said. “I’m gonna get in the gym.”
Higgins spoke to GMA in April 2026 about “manifesting” being on the show — and being ready to “give it [her] all.” “I’m just so, so happy. I can’t wait to get really fit and wear all the sexy costumes,” she said. “I just want to start now.”
Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty; Amy Sussman/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Kevin MazurGetty
The DWTS family will have a new addition this season, as former DWTS: Juniors pro Kamri Peterson will join the show’s troupe. The news was announced during the show’s first-ever convention on Aug. 2. Additional troupe dancers will be announced later.
Dancing with the Stars returns with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.
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