The stars and pros are waltzing and jiving on the dance floor once again as Dancing With The Stars season 31 returns, now streaming as the first live-streaming show to air on Disney+. So far, the new streaming home and format seems to suit the show well, and the cast is jam packed with a variety of talented stars.
The competition is fierce as there was already a three-way tie for first place with 32 points in episode two, which is an extremely high score to have that many times so early on in the competition. Bachelorettes and amazing dancers like Wayne Brady often go far, but this season they have Charli D'Amelio's TikTok following to compete with. Charli isn't the only star on the show with amazing social media content. The whole cast is on Instagram!
Daniel Durant - 69.2K
It's certainly a popular season if the lowest amount of followers in the cast is still 70K. Daniel Durant is coming off of his work in the 2022 Academy Awards Best Picture winner, CODA, to this cast of stars and dance with Britt Stewart.
He's following in the footsteps of fellow CODA cast member Marlee Matlin who was the first deaf celebrity to compete on Dancing With The Stars. Daniel is doing an amazing job, and it's really lovely to see the teamwork between Daniel, Britt, and his interpretor Gabriel. The three of them share fun content on his IG during the rehearsal process.
Cheryl Ladd - 81.8K
Cheryl Ladd is as all-time classic American actress best known for her role as Kris Munroe in Charlie's Angels. Her storied career has led her to the ballroom, and she is excited to show off that she's still got it and able to dance at her age.
She's been an incredible sport giving it her all. She had some missteps in her week 2 dance, but the judges were incredibly kind and commended her for getting through all of it without giving up. Unfortunately, her stint on the ballroom floor was short-lived, as she was eliminated in week 3.
Jason Lewis - 98.7K
Jason is most famous for his ing role in the popular series, Sex and The City. Though he's worked on several projects since, his role as Samantha's boyfriend Smith Jerrod is just too iconic to forget.
Sadly, he was the first person to get eliminated from the competition. He and Peta gave a fantastic performance, so it wasn't for a lack of talent. Ultimately, it is simply a highly competitive season, and he didn't have the votes and to keep him around.
Sam Champion - 158K
Sam Champion is an established weather anchor who has appeared on morning shows like Good Morning America. Beyond that, he seems to have wound up on Dancing with the Stars because his dance partner, Cheryl Burke, was his neighbor, and she convinced him to compete.
Their week 2 dance is a perfect indicator of how strong their teamwork is. Cheryl has a lot of seniority on the show and seems to be quite the serious and dedicated teacher. If the difference between week 1 and 2 were any indicator, Sam might be around a while if he continues to grow at this rate.
Trevor Donovan - 245K
Fans most likely know actor and model Trevor Donovan from 90210. He started the season by expressing his fear of dancing, but week 2 made it seem like he'd completely conquered the fear once he and Emma performed a steamy rumba.
The judges seemed absolutely blown away by the performance and their partnership, especially Bruno. Emma and Trevor will be an interesting pair to watch throughout the season since their chemistry on the dance floor seem dynamic following their week 2 dance.
Joseph Baena - 387K
Joseph Baena is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has built his success in acting and bodybuilding. He has more muscle mass than any of the other stars this season, and his partner Daniella Karagach even stated that she is still getting used to having a heavier partner. Hence, their partnership on the dance floor clicked.
He had a challenging week since Daniella had to step out of the show on week 2 after testing positive for COVID. Joseph did a great job with Alexis Warr, who stood in to take Dani's place, and ers hope the original duo can safely reunite soon.
Wayne Brady - 418K
Wayne Brady is best known for his outstanding improvisational comedy on How I Met Your Mother.
He has a sweet reason for being on the show, which is to make his late grandmother proud, and he is doing an excellent job at that so far with his partner Witney Carson. Wayne is hilarious, so it's no surprise he has a great following already, but anyone who follows him on Instagram will be glad they did. He is so effortlessly lovable and hilarious!
Gabby Windey - 968K
As dedicated Bachelorette to the cast, following in the footsteps like those of Kaitlyn Bristowe and Hannah Brown. So far, she is off to an incredible start, and her background as a cheerleader seems to be working well in her favor.
Gabby seems perfectly matched with Val Chmerkovskiy. They both have fun, goofy personalities but can also get serious when they need to when it's time to engage in the ballroom. She and Val make super fun content every week around the show leading up to their memorable performances that have been steadily getting 7s and 8s from the judges, which is a nice start.
Shangela - 1.5M
Shangela and Gleb Savchenko are making history on Dancing With The Stars this season. First, Shangela is the first drag queen to compete in Dancing with the Stars. Whenever Shangela is out of drag and in rehearsals, the dance partners are the first pair of same-sex male partners to compete, following JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson making history as the first two female partners last season.
Shangela and Gleb match each other's energy so well, so many fans enjoy the dynamic between the pair. Also, Shangela makes a lot of fun content during the week with other stars to lighten up and have fun throughout the rehearsal process.
Jordin Sparks - 1.9M
Jordin Sparks, the American Idol season 6 winner who took the show by storm at only 17, is now on Dancing With The Stars, partnering with Brandom Armstrong. Jordin has been very vocal about how dancing does not come naturally to her, but she seems to be learning quickly.
As one of the highest-followed American Idol winners on Instagram, Jordin is very quick to point out that she's not much of a dancer, but her performances would suggest otherwise. The musicality she has as a singer seems to translate fairly well into the dance world so far.