Dancing With the Stars Season 35 kicked off on ABC on 15 September, and three weeks in, the leaderboard is taking shape, eliminations are mounting, and a couple of pairings are already pulling away from the pack.
The full cast of 16 was announced on 2 September on Good Morning America. The line-up runs the usual gamut: Olympians, reality show veterans, actors with serious dance pedigrees, and a few complete beginners. Here is where every contestant stands.
Who Has Already Been Eliminated From Dancing With the Stars Season 35
Conner Leavitt, partnered with Adele Zaikman, was the first to go, sent home at the end of week one and finishing in 16th place. He had stepped into the ballroom after cheering on his wife Whitney Leavitt during season 34.
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten followed. According to ABC News, the pair were eliminated during Viral Hits Night on week two after performing a salsa to Becky G’s ‘Bella Ciao’.
Taylor Hanson, the middle Hanson brother who had been spotted in the audience during season 34’s ‘Wicked Night’ episode, also exited the competition. ABC News reports that Hanson and his partner Britt Stewart were eliminated after performing a Foxtrot to the Doobie Brothers’ ‘What a Fool Believes’.
Top of the Leaderboard After Yacht Rock Night
While eliminations have claimed three celebrities, two pairings are already establishing themselves at the top. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov earned a score of 24/30 for their foxtrot to Toto’s ‘Hold the Line’ during week three’s Yacht Rock Night, the highest tally of the season so far. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson matched that 24/30 on the same night, tying for the top of the leaderboard, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Shum Jr.’s score will surprise nobody who knows his background. Before transitioning to acting, he served as a backup dancer for Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Madonna. His partner in the cast listing from the show is Jenna Chmerkovskiy.
The Full Season 35 Cast Still Standing
Amber Glenn (partner: Pasha Pashkov) told the House of Maher podcast that competing on DWTS has been ‘a dream of mine’ since she watched Meryl Davis compete in 2014. She is a two-time Paralympian who competed at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
Ciara Miller (partner: Brandon Armstrong) grew up dancing and told Us Weekly she took ballet for ten years. She was also rumoured for the season 34 cast before finally making it in for season 35.
Connor Wood (partner: Rylee Arnold) is the internet personality known as Fibula, and is good friends with DWTS alum Dylan Efron. He joins as this season’s social media wildcard.
Ezra Frech (partner: Daniella Karagach) is a two-time Paralympian who won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. He competes in track and field and is new to formal dance competition.
Guillermo Rodriguez (partner: Witney Carson) is best known as the sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel joked at the announcement that Guillermo would become ‘the first-ever parking lot security guard to dance with the stars.’
Jackson Olson (partner: Emma Slater) is a member of the Savannah Bananas baseball team. He has performed plenty of choreography with the team since joining in 2022, but has no formal dance training.
Jenna Dewan (partner: Val Chmerkovskiy) started her career as a professional backup dancer and also danced for Janet Jackson before moving into acting.
Julia Stiles (partner: Ezra Sosa) needs no dance CV beyond Save the Last Dance.
Maura Higgins (partner: Mark Ballas) told The Hollywood Reporter back in March that DWTS would ‘be a huge challenge,’ adding: ‘I know I’d throw myself into it and all the looks and glitter.’ She mentioned doing ‘a bit of Irish dancing’ when she was younger.
Sarah Jane Nader (partner: Hailey Bills) is following in the footsteps of her sister Brooks Nader, who competed in a previous season.
Tatyana Ali (partner: Jan Ravnik) joins DWTS host Alfonso Ribeiro, her onscreen big brother from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Tyler Cameron (partner: Sharna Burgess) competed on The Real Dirty Dancing in 2022 and finished as runner-up. He enters this season six years after his ex Hannah Brown won the Mirrorball Trophy in season 28.
With Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov sitting on the season’s joint-best score of 24/30 after Yacht Rock Night, they are the pair to beat heading into the next round of live shows.