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'DWTS' reveals its next celebrity contestant — but none of us expected it to be a TikTok star

Following Robert Irwin’s reveal, ‘DWTS’ just doubled down on bold moves by adding a viral social media influencer to the lineup

'Dancing With the Stars' fanfare continues with the NBC reality show announcing the second cast member for season 34. In a grand gesture, popular daily talk show 'Good Morning America' revealed TikToker 'Get Ready With Me' fame Alix Earle as the next celebrity to join wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin in the ballroom. It will be interesting to watch which dancing pro gives Earle the hand to win the famed Mirror Ball trophy—sharing the exciting news clip on her Instagram, the social media influencer promises to bring in all the "tea" from the reality show for its die-hard fans.

“I’ve always been a fan of Dancing with the Stars,” she revealed during her live interview with hosts Michael Strahan and Lara Spencer. “I used to watch it when I was so young with my grandma, and she would always say to me, ‘Maybe one day you could be on there.’” “I was so in love with dance,” Earle added while confessing that she was competitive on the dance floor during her high school days. “I’m ready to challenge myself, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. So it was a very obvious answer to say yes," she added.

In a second Instagram post declaring her foray into the dance world, Earle captioned it, "Ahh see you this Season on @dancingwiththestars #dwts," with heart emojis. Additionally, she showcased some fun whisk moves for her fans and captioned the short clip, "Me trying to do the whisk, it's okay, guess I will learn this season on DWTS." The socialite has garnered a huge fan following on social media, boasting almost 7.5 million on TikTok and 4.3 million on Instagram, as per Hollywood Reporter. 

She is also the creator of 'Hot Mess', a glam podcast show that details her celebrity lifestyle in-depth. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model has already been named in Forbes’ Top Creators and Fashion 50 lists, which makes her one of the young influencers to sway votes on DWTS in her favor, Variety reports. The Miami-based creator was also popularly voted by fans as Allure’s Beauty Creator of 2024 and Digital Creator of the Year by People's Magazine, as per EW. 

Deadline reports that the ABC show season 33 was ranked as no 1 among adults 18-49 in Live+Same Day viewing, and the upcoming season promises to top the ratings chart with its sensational casting. It has been reported that the previous edition of the reality dance show attracted over 32 million votes during the airing of its finale.

Host Julianne Hough earlier reacted to the buzz surrounding Irwin's casting, “If he’s anything like his sister Bindi, who was an absolute gem, then he’s going to be incredible. That family is full of love and authenticity. Robert’s also in the middle of a bit of a rebrand — he’s charming, youthful, and, let’s be honest, kind of sexy! ‘DWTS’ will be the perfect stage for him to explore this new chapter.” With a gorgeous social media influencer now on board, DWTS hopes to create the same level of excitement among its fan base.