“Dancing with the Stars,” the latest hot topic for Wednesday mornings, premiered its 34th season on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. Since 2005, the show has been bringing talent to the ballroom by featuring a variety of celebrities, including actors, athletes, etc., who dance with professionals and compete for the Mirrorball trophy. With each episode, different themes are introduced each night, and the stars learn classical dances such as the waltz, foxtrot, jive, and contemporary styles.
This season stars include Whitney Leavitt from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives;” Jordan Chiles, an American gymnast; social media stars, Alix Earle and Dylan Efron; actress Elaine Hendrix from “The Parent Trap;” Robert Irwin, a wildlife conservationist, and Andy Richter, a comedian.
Stars who have already been eliminated include Corey Feldman, an actor best known for “The Goonies”; Baron Davis, an NBA All-Star; Lauren Jauregui from Fifth Harmony; Scott Hoying, a member of Pentatonix; Hilaria Baldwin, a reality TV star; and Jen Affleck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives;” and actress Danielle Fishel from“Boy Meets World.”
This season’s themes have been the traditional personal anthems, One hit Wonders night, Disney night, Halloween night, Dedication night, TikTok night, and, for the first time, Wicked night. On Tuesday nights, fans vote for their favorite stars to keep them from getting voted off. Judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli also score the contestants 1-10, which determines the leaderboard positions at the end of the night.
Throughout the season, fans watch their favorite stars develop their talent as they perform dances that bring laughter and emotion to the stage. Junior Blair Bono has kept up with the show since season 30 in 2020, and this season, she is rooting for Robert Irwin. Irwin’s sister, Bindi Irwin, was on season 21 of “Dancing with the Stars”, and was the Mirror Ball champion with her partner Derek Hough.
“The contemporary piece dedicated to his mom was very moving and emotional,” Bono said. “It was so emotional when Terri [his mom] and Bindi came onto the stage at the end, and he hugged them so tightly; it was so heartfelt!”
