For 33 seasons, Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) has been a household show captivating millions of watchers every year. Each week, pairings consisting of one professional dancer and one star compete in their routine in front of the three judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. Scores are determined by a combination of judges’ scores and online votes from viewers at home. Viewers love the upbeat and humorous environment from hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, the judges’ critiques, and the dancers’ progression and development. This year, we see some returning veteran pros like Val Chmerkovskiy, Witney Carson, and Gleb Savchenko, along with the younger, new generation of pros like Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa.Â
The 2024 Dancing with the Stars Cast
- Witney Carson and Super Bowl Champion, Danny Amendola
- Ezra Sosa and con-artist, entrepreneur, Anna Delvey
- Jenna Johnson and Bachelor reality TV star, Joey Graziadei
- Daniella Karagach and professional basketball player, Dwight Howard
- Brandon Armstrong and actress, Chandler Kinney
- Alan Bernsten and Olympic rugby star, Ilona Maher
- Gleb Savchenko and model, Brooks Nadar
- Rylee Arnold and Olympic gymnast, Steven Nedoroscik
- Val Chmerkovskiy and actress/businesswoman, Phaedra ParksÂ
- Britt Stewert and actor, Eric RobertsÂ
- Pasha Pashkov and reality TV star, Tori SpellingÂ
- Sasha Farber and reality TV star, Jenn Tran
- Emma Slater and actor, Reginald VelJohnson
This season, Dancing with Stars voting has been especially influenced by TikTok. Each pairing has taken to TikTok to give behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsal and funny bloopers, as well as keeping up with all the latest trends. This has given Dancing with the Stars a whole new aspect. My For You Page is flooded with DWTS recaps, including snippets of the dances, fans’ reactions, and thoughts and videos from the actual dancers themselves. It has even become a trend to replicate certain parts of the dances. The online presence of pairings has significantly impacted the trajectory of this competition as fans rally behind their favorite internet duos. Here is how TikTok has influenced a few of the couples:
1. Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
Joey and Danny are top contenders to win the Mirrorball this year, with Joey coming out strong from week one and Danny having a sneaky breakthrough in week five. These couples have been trending on TikTok for the past few weeks, contributing to their rising success. First, Danny and Witney took TikTok by storm after their contemporary dance to the song “Unsteady,” featuring a very impressive move where Danny pulls Witney off the ground by the foot, demonstrating Witney’s core and quad strength. Then, Joey and Jenna did an upbeat, Tarzan-inspired dance featuring a unique rhythmic section. Both snippets from both dances have garnered tens and thousands of videos of people imitating those moves, taking over the For You Pages of people worldwide. Even some of the other pros tried the moves themselves.
2. Rylee Arnold
Last season, Rylee Arnold made her DWTS debut, following in the footsteps of her older sister Lindsay, a mirrorball champion herself. Rylee’s fun-loving, sweet, innocent personality captured the hearts of many avid watchers. However, her partner, Harry Jowsey, a reality TV star from Too Hot To Handle, was very opposite of the bad boy, sex-crazed persona he portrayed on Too Hot To Handle. This unlikely duo was loved by many DWTS fans and brought Harry further in the competition than people believed his dancing skills deserved. This foundation, topped with her new partner this season, Olympic Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, has given Rylee a huge advantage. Fans love her behind-the-scenes videos, as well as her hilarious content with fellow pro Ezra Sosa (especially when it comes to the confusing relationship of pairing Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko).
3. Ilona Maher
Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher has accumulated an impressive 2.9 million followers on TikTok. People joke that she somehow has a sound for every situation she has encountered on the show. She and her partner, Alan Bersten, are comedic content creators and have gained a tremendous amount of support through their entertaining videos. Ilona has gone as far as to even use her own voice for a sound. After what she thought was not her best dance, Maher told judge Carrie Ann Inaba that she had “been better” through muffled tears. Fans loved that Ilona could make light of how she reacted and use her voice in a video. This, on top of all her other humorous content, has definitely contributed to her success in the show.
As much as I enjoy watching the dances every Tuesday, I almost look forward to the content that comes with the show even more. I love keeping up with the couples weekly and seeing their takes on popular trends and behind-the-scenes footage of what life on the show is like. Even the eliminated pros keep the content up every week. Ezra Sosa has a bit going where he makes a TikTok with all the eliminated pros, including the new one each week. This competition is becoming more intense, as some of the most favorited dancers and favorited content couples remain. Who will win the season 33 Mirrorball?