Dancing With The Stars Cuts Off Bachelor Contestants For First Time In Years - Here's Why

DWTS and The Bachelor have been TV cousins for years, trading talent like it is a family reunion. Normally there is at least one Bachelor alum stumbling through the cha-cha every season. This year? None. Zip. And at the same time, a familiar face is waltzing back into the ballroom. Here is what changed, who is in, and why fans think ABC benched Bachelor Nation for the first time in ages.

Mark Ballas is back (yep, after retiring)

Mark Ballas, who officially walked away from Dancing With the Stars in 2023, is suiting up again for Season 34. He told Us Weekly that injuries were a big reason he stepped away years back, and those have finally calmed down. The other reason he could not resist coming back is a very personal one:

"I also am a new dad and I really am excited for my son to see daddy do this"

His partner this season is Whitney Leavitt from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. If you are keeping score at home, the timeline is a little inside baseball: Ballas first eased off after season 25 because of injuries, returned in later seasons, then retired in 2023, and now he is back again. The body held up, the timing worked, and the ballroom pulled him in one more time.

First time in years: no Bachelor Nation on the Season 34 cast

Here is the eyebrow-raiser. Despite DWTS and The Bachelor both living on ABC and usually cross-pollinating talent, Season 34 skipped Bachelor Nation entirely. That is a noticeable change after last season had two alums: Bachelorette Jenn Tran and The Bachelor lead Joey Graziadei, who actually won the Mirrorball. He was the first male from the franchise to do it.

Fans had money on a few names for this season — Grant Ellis from The Bachelor, plus Golden Bachelor stars Leslie Fhima or Joan Vassos — but none made the cut. Also missing: pro Sasha Farber, who partnered with Jenn Tran last season, is not back in the pro lineup this year.

Here is who did make the Season 34 roster

• Olympic Gymnast - Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
• 80s Actor - Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson
• Lead of Pentatonix - Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
• Conservationist & TV Personality - Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
• Social Media Influencer - Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
• The Parent Trap Actress - Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
• Boy Meets World Actress - Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
• Comedian - Andy Richter and Emma Slater
• The Traitors Star - Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
• The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
• The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
• Reality Star - Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
• NBA Player - Baron Davis and Britt Stewart
• Fifth Harmony Member - Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong

So why freeze out Bachelor Nation?

ABC has not addressed it, which only fuels speculation. The fan theories running around social media cover the usual suspects: some think the Bachelor franchise has been struggling and this feels like another nail in the coffin; others point to ABC needing a breather after last season heavily featured the roses crew. A few viewers argued the show has had vetting issues with Bachelor casting and DWTS may be steering around that. There was also chatter that Joan Vassos would have been a smart pick, with the caveat she might not be interested, and that Grant Ellis was never a likely choice anyway. And then there is the evergreen take that DWTS is built for D/Z-listers, so no harm, no foul.

My read: after Joey just won and the franchise had two slots last season, the producers probably wanted a reset and a fresher mix of fandoms. It is weird timing, sure, but not shocking.

Premiere date

Dancing With the Stars Season 34 kicks off Tuesday, September 16. Who are you backing on night one?