Dancing With the Stars season 35 reveals first contestants: Ciara Miller from ‘Summer House’ and Maura Higgins from ‘The Traitors’

Season 35 of the long-running ABC ballroom dance competition Dancing with the Stars is officially set to return this fall on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available the next day on Hulu, and the first celebrity cast members have now been revealed.

Two high-profile reality TV personalities, Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins, have been announced as the first celebrity contestants for Dancing with the Stars Season 35. The announcement was made on April 22, 2026 at Hulu’s “Get Real House” event in Beverly Hills, California, where the network also confirmed the show’s renewal and teased future programming.

Ciara Miller is widely recognized for her role on Bravo’s reality series Summer House, where she has been a cast member for multiple seasons. In addition to her Bravo fame, she competed in Season 3 of The Traitors and has a background as a registered ICU travel nurse and model.


Maura Higgins shot to fame as a finalist on Love Island UK Season 5 and later became a presenter for Love Island USA, Love Island Games, and Love Island USA: Aftersun. She most recently finished as a runner-up on Season 4 of The Traitors.

Both women bring strong reality TV credentials and broad social media followings to the ballroom, a trend DWTS has leaned into increasingly in recent seasons.

Dancing with the Stars has been a staple of network television since its premiere in 2005, blending competitive ballroom dancing with celebrity entertainment. The show is hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with returning judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli.

In addition to the main competition, the DWTS franchise is expanding with a new companion series, Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, slated to premiere on July 13, 2026.

This spin-off will feature 12 aspiring dancers competing for a coveted professional dancer spot on Season 35. The companion series will be hosted by Season 34 champion Robert Irwin, with DWTS favorite Mark Ballas and his mother Shirley Ballas serving as judges.

Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars was one of the most successful in recent memory, with an estimated 72 million votes cast during its finale and strong viewership across ABC and streaming platforms, factors that likely contributed to the show’s decision to renew and to generate early buzz around Season 35’s casting and format enhancements.

Though only the first two celebrity contestants have been confirmed so far, more participants and their pro dance partners are expected to be announced as the premiere draws closer, continuing DWTS’ pattern of gradual build-ups to each new season.