‘DWTS’ fan-favorite pro returning for Season 35 after 5-year hiatus

A beloved 'Dancing with the Stars' professional is making a long-awaited return to the ballroom, five years after stepping away from the competition.
A still from ‘Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro’ (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @dancingwiththestars)
A still from ‘Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro’ (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @dancingwiththestars)

One of the fan-favorite participants on the hit TV show, ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Sharna Burgess is set to make a return in Season 35. Burgess was absent from the show for five years after last appearing in Season 30 in 2021, when she was paired with her fiancé, Brian Austin Green. This marks her first season as a 'DWTS' professional since leaving the show.

She also opened up about the possibility of returning to 'Dancing With the Stars Con 2026.' Burgess announced that producers had approached her about participating in the previous season, but she wasn't ready at the time. At that point, Burgess was focused on other projects and her family life. However, she said that over time, she began to miss dancing and realized she wanted that part of herself back. Reconnecting with the ‘DWTS’ community at the convention further reminded her how much the ballroom meant to her. 

Sharna Burgess on her trip to Ireland (Image Source: Instagram | @sharnaburgess)
Sharna Burgess on her trip to Ireland (Image Source: Instagram | @sharnaburgess)

Still, Burgess had one condition regarding a possible return. She previously made it clear that she would never want another professional dancer to lose their position to make room for her. If there had been no genuine opening, she said she would have been happy to remain a supporter in the audience.

Burgess brings an impressive ‘DWTS’ history with her. She competed across 14 seasons and won the Mirrorball Trophy alongside Bobby Bones in Season 27. Over the years, she also partnered with several celebrities, making her one of the more familiar professional faces from the show's modern era.

Sharna Burgess during Valentines Day (Image Source: Instagram | @sharnaburgess)
Sharna Burgess during Valentine's Day (Image Source: Instagram | @sharnaburgess)

Her return adds another experienced dancer to the Season 35 lineup. Burgess is the second pro confirmed for the upcoming season, following Witney Carson. But at the time of this writing, the identity of her famous partner remains unknown. For Burgess, the comeback means a fresh start.

She had been contemplating the impact that becoming a mother had on her outlook on life and her creativity, and she hinted that the new version of herself stepping onto the dance floor would be worlds apart from the one seen before.

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