24-04-2025
Dancing With the Stars Announces Its First Season 34 Contestant — and They're Related to a Past Winner!
The Dancing With the Stars Live Tour just wrapped on April 19 and fans might feel like they are in a drought when it comes to news. Well, is here to brighten your day with a Season 34 renewal… and the name of the first official contestant!
The popular competition show will be back on ABC and Disney+ this fall and then streaming the next day on Hulu. The exciting news was announced at Hulu's inaugural Get Real House on April 22. Season 33 brought renewed interest to the series, attracting younger fans and culminating in its highest total audience in over three years — we're talking 7.95 million viewers. Dancing With the Stars also broke several voting records during the season, with over 32 million votes cast in the finale alone.
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While the full cast of celebrities and pros will be announced at a later date, the show did drop one name, someone who has been speculated about for quite a few Dancing With the Stars cycles. Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, the younger brother of Season 21 winner Bindi Irwin (with pro Derek Hough), is the first celebrity cast member for Season 34.
Kate Berry/Courtesy of Hulu
The rumors about Robert joining the show go back to Season 31. In January 2022, he told Entertainment Tonight that he was open to the idea of following in his sister's footsteps. 'We've gotta do that, don't we? Yeah, I reckon it's about time, eh? I'd definitely give it a go,' he said enthusiastically and then turned to Bindi, 'I reckon you could give me some tips. I think it'd be a lot of fun.'
Robert didn't sound confident about his dancing abilities though, adding, 'I don't know how far I'd go, but it'd be entertaining.' Critics shouldn't underestimate his popularity because he was also a Season 33 casting rumor after popular pro Rylee Arnold said she would love to be paired with him.
In May 2024, Arnold spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her celebrity wish list for Season 33. 'I mean Ross Lynch is a huge one,' she revealed. 'Robert Irwin, he is the… imagine, because his sister Bindi was on the show and I remember watching his sister on the show when I was eight years old, and I was like 'Robert's like my age.' I was like 'Please he has to be on the show at least one day for me.'
Arnold was shocked to hear that Robert was open to doing the show, so she put the casting call out into the universe. 'Guys, let's all manifest it together,' she said. Well, the universe heard her, and Robert is the first celebrity on the list. Still, his pro pairing has not been announced yet — fans will have to wait and see if the Dancing With the Stars dream team will be a reality.
Before you go, see of all the winners in the gallery below.
