Dancing With the Stars 35: Maura Higgins & Ciara Miller
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- Dancing With the Stars announced its 35th season will debut this fall, revealed at the Get Real event on Wednesday.
- Maura Higgins was named as one of the first two celebrity contestants, known for “The Traitors” and “Love Island,” and previously became the first UK cast member to host U.S. “Love Island” spin‑offs.
- Ciara Miller, a former ICU nurse and “Summer House” star, was the other initial contestant, and recent headlines noted her best friend Amanda Batula dating her ex West Wilson.
- BBC Studios produced the series, which set a record in Season 34 with 72 million votes and an average of 10 million viewers, the best finale in a decade.
- Alfonso Ribeiro will return as a host for Season 35.
- Julianne Hough will also return as a host for Season 35.
- Derek Hough will serve as a judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
Why it matters: ABC secures a high‑viewership property that delivered 72 million votes and averaged 10 million viewers in Season 34, bolstering its fall lineup, sharpening its advertising appeal, and reinforcing the franchise’s cultural relevance as it leans into the personal‑drama narratives of Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller.
