Dancing with the Stars Season 33 will see a return to the ballroom with some familiar faces.
They will be welcomed back by their co-hosts as the yet-to-be-revealed celebrities prepare for the dance battle with their partners. Julianne HoughFormer professional dancer, Alfonso RibeiroSeason 19 Mirror Ball Trophy winner.
This isn’t the first time they’ve hosted together. The 52-year-old actor has been hosting the show since 2022, initially as Tyra BanksIn season 32, Alfonso was replaced as his co-host by the 36-year-old professional dancer. Their chemistry goes way back, and Julianne was a judge on Alfonso’s winning season.
In a 2023 interview Tonight’s Entertainment, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor “I think we have great chemistry. We’ve known each other for a long time and she was a judge on my season,” he said, adding, “We’ve known each other for years, so our energies are just right. We’ll sit down and have lunch, and two and a half hours later we’re like, ‘I wonder if I should go home and do something.’ I think that chemistry and friendship will come through to the audience on the show.”
While Alfonso and Julienne encourage the dancers, it is again the judges who test them. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioliand Derek Hough — He is the younger brother of Julian, a six-time Mirror Ball winner, and a former professional dancer.
The trio have been judging the show together since 2020, even working through the pandemic. The last time they sat together was with the late longtime judge and dance critic Len GoodmanThe show’s trophy is named after him.
The ballroom dancing legend, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 78, had a profound impact on the many dancers who participated in the show, many of whom he had served as judges for since their youth.
The dancing competition is set to premiere on ABC and Disney+ on September 17th at 8pm ET, and fans can expect the announcement of celebrity dancers as the show date draws closer. The winner of this season will be presented with the “Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy.”