‘Dancing With The Stars’ Viewer Guide, Everything You Need To Know
Dancing with the Stars will be heading to ABC this fall with two versions of its popular format. There will be the traditional version of the series and a fun twist where young celebrities compete with teenage pros for mirrorball glory.
While very few details have been revealed about Season 27 of the regular edition of the long-running reality dance competition, there have been some leaks regarding the show’s junior version set to air this October.
A Mirrorball Winner And Runner-Up Pal Will Host
Former Dancing with the Stars fan favorites Jordan Fisher and Frankie Muniz will host the junior version. Fisher won the Mirrorball trophy for Season 25 alongside pro-Lindsay Arnold and Muniz competed in the same season as Fisher, placing third with his partner Witney Carson.
The two became pals on the series and their friendship continued as they both performed on the show’s live tour following their appearances, DWTS Live! Light Up the Night.
“I was so excited because I had such an amazing time on Dancing with the Stars,” former Malcolm in the Middle star Muniz said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“So, to be able to stay in the family and get to experience it from a different perspective and get to host the new show, like, I was thrilled.”
The Judges
Adam Rippon won the most recent season of Dancing with the Stars, an all athletes version, alongside partner Jenna Johnson. He will now be the one judging the teens as he sits behind the desk and wields his own scoring paddle.
Seated alongside Rippon will be fan favorite DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy, who has won two mirrorballs – once in Season 20 alongside actress Rumer Willis and in Season 23 with gold medal-winning gymnast Laurie Hernandez.
Choreographer Mandy Moore, who worked on the Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling film La La Land as well as So You Think You Can Dance, will be seated in the third judge’s chair.
Favorite DWTS Pros Will Be Mentors
Cheryl Burke, Sasha Farber, and Witney Carson are some of the fan-favorite DWTS pros from past and present who will assist in mentoring the young ballroom dancers and their celebrity partners throughout the course of the series. Here’s the full list of the mentors and the teen pros they will mentor.
Alan Bersten and JT Church
Brandon Armstrong and Artyon Celestine
Artem Chigvinstev and Tristan Ianiero
Jenna Johnson and Hailey Bills (her niece)
Hayley Erbert and Kameron Couch
Emma Slater and Elliana Walmsley
Keo Motsepe and Lev Khmelev
Gleb Savchenko and Sage Rosen
Sasha Farber and Jake Monreal
Cheryl Burke and Brightyn Brems
Witney Carson and Kamri Peterson
Lindsay Arnold and Rylee Arnold (her little sister)
The cast of celebrity kids has not been announced yet, but rumor has it that possible competitors will be Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, Sophia Pippen (daughter of Scottie and Larsa Pippen), Sky Brown, a 10-year-old skater and surfer, and Black-ish actor Miles Brown.
Dancing with the Stars Season 27 debuts on ABC beginning Monday, September 24.
Dancing with the Stars: Juniors premieres on Sunday, October 7.
