The upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet, and not just because stars will all be famous athletes.
While ABC still hasn't announced which athletes will be competing in Season 26, we do have a few details about the upcoming season that you'll definitely need to know, if you want to make your mirrorball predictions as accurate as possible.
Season 26 is comprised completely of athletes. As we mentioned before, Season 26 will be an All Athletes edition of Dancing with the Stars. With the 2018 Winter Olympics barely in the rearview, you should probably expect to see quite a few Olympians take the stage. Personally, we're triple crossing our fingers for Adam Rippon.
A casting announcement is on the way. Make sure to tune in to Good Morning AmericaFriday morning on April 13! That's when ABC will finally announce which 10 stars will serve as this year's competitors.
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The season will be shorter than normal. Rather than the typical 10-week format, the athletes season will only run for four weeks, which means cuts are going to be brutal, and stars won't have a lot of time to polish their rough edges. It's ready, set, mirrorball! The premiere will air April 30 at 8/7c on ABC.
The hosts and judges are staying the same. While the format and timing will be all jumbled up thanks to this new twist, at least we know that Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will be back to host and Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli are all returning as judges. As for Julianne Hough, she's almost certainly sitting this one out again (and may be done with the franchise for good).
There's a new showrunner. Andrew Llinares, whose previews producing credits include The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent has been named the new showrunner for Season 25. He's told The Hollywood Reporter that he plans to make some changes that move the show forward without revolutionizing the whole concept.
Dancing with the Stars returns April 30 at 8/7c on ABC.
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