Season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars” is back with a new host and new celebrities. Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro are co-hosts this season, replacing Tyra Banks who hosted the past three seasons. Carrie-Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli will be taking the judges’ chairs. This will be the first season without head judge Len Goodman, who passed away from cancer at the age of 78. The show renamed its championship prize “The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy” in honor of him.
On September 13th, “Good Morning America” revealed the celebrity lineup and their professional partners. Actress Alyson Hannigan, who starred in “How I Met Your Mother and American Pie,” is partnered up with Sasha Farber. “The Brady Bunch” star, Barry Williams, is the oldest cast member to compete this season. He is partnered with Peta Murgatroyd, who won The Mirrorball Trophy in Seasons 14 and 22.
Comedian and “Veep” star, Matt Walsh, is dancing with Koko Iwasaki, who is in her second season as a pro. Real estate magnate, star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and Netflix’s “Buying Beverly Hills,” Mauricio Umansky, is partnering with Emma Slater. She won Season 24 with former pro football player, Rashad Jennings.
Reality television and social media star, Harry Jowsey, who appeared in both “Too Hot To Handle” and “Heartbreak Island,” is dancing with first-time pro Rylee Arnold. Ralph Lauren Polo runway model and actor, Tyson Beckford, is paired with Jenna Johnson, who won Season 26 with figure skater Adam Rippon.
Internet sensation, YouTuber and singer, Lele Pons is dancing this season alongside Brandon Armstrong. Adrian Peterson is a pro football player who was drafted into the National Football League by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. Since then, he has played for numerous other NFL teams. His partner this season is Britt Stewart.
Xochitl Gomez is the youngest contestant on this season. The 17-year-old is best known for her role as America Chavez in the 2022 Marvel movie, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Her partner is two-time champion Valentin Chmerkovskiy. Oscar, Golden Globe, and Academy Award winner, Mira Sorvino, is also dancing this season. She is best known for playing Romy in the 1997 comedy “Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion” opposite Lisa Kudrow. Her partner is Gleb Savchenko.
Two-time Grammy winner Jason Mraz, best known for his hit single “I’m Yours,” is taking the floor with Season 30 winner Daniella Karagach, whose previous dance partner was National Basketball Association player Iman Shumpert. Jamie Lynn Spears is an author, actress and the younger sister of pop icon Britney Spears. Her partner this season is Alan Bersten, who won Season 28 with former “Bachelorette,” Hannah Brown.
Charity Lawson, season 20 lead on “The Bachelorette” who got engaged to her final pick, is partnered with Artem Chigvintsev, Season 29 winner of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Finally, Ariana Madix is a cast member on the Bravo reality television show “Vanderpump Rules.” She made headlines this season when her boyfriend of 9 years, Tom Sandoval, cheated on her with her best friend and co-star, Raquel Leviss. This was one of the biggest cheating scandals to happen on Bravo, titled Scandoval. Her partner this season is Pasha Pashkov.
Eve Golding, a junior majoring in Media Studies, says that she doesn’t plan on watching the entire season, but does see clips of it on Instagram. She says, “I’m definitely shocked to see Harry Jowsey because I find him more of a comedian based on the type of reality shows he was on, which were about love and comedy. I’ve never seen him in any sort of dance show, but more fitness, so I think that he will do well if he puts in the effort.” She was also surprised that she didn’t know most of the cast, while in other seasons she recognized the names of the competitors.
Jacob DiGiacomo, a sophomore majoring in Finance, likes the cast because of the diversity within it. When he saw that Adrian Peterson was joining, he said he thinks that, “He will do well, given the fact that he’s an athlete, so that makes him quick on his feet.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs every Tuesday at 8/7 Central live on ABC and Disney Plus. It’s also available to stream the next day on Hulu.
