‘DWTS’ fans are demanding the return of one beloved segment — but not everyone’s on board
'Dancing with the Stars' season 34 is around the corner, and fans are demanding that the makers bring back one beloved segment: ‘Switch-Up Week’. This segment allows pro dancers and celebrity contestants to interchange partners, making their journey to the trophy more challenging.
Now, fans of the show are demanding the segment return. In a Reddit thread titled, 'I wish they'd bring back Switch-Up week!', a 'DWTS' viewer wrote, "I really liked switch-up week, seeing how the stars did with different pros. I also thought it was cool to see how the pros did with different stars and how their teaching styles did/didn't work with a new person."
Another social media user chimed in with a response claiming the pros “hated” the segment. This makes sense considering they could be eliminated from the show based on someone else's work with their partner. One netizen found the concept “cool,” but felt that it makes the voting and elimination stressful. “Pros can essentially be punished for doing well with a new contestant if their original contestant backslides or just isn’t able to quickly build up a comfort level with someone else," a social media user said.
A fourth internet user claimed that ‘DWTS’ will not bring back ‘Switch-Up Week’ anytime soon. “I love the concept, but it's hard because it's not entirely fair, especially to the pros,” another social media user said. However, the user suggested that grouping the contestants and pros could be “cool” to watch. “That way, they get the experience of both learning from and dancing with a different pro.” The latest season, 33, of ‘DWTS’ featured singer-actress Chandler Kinney, Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Tori Spelling, former Bachelor star Joey Graziadei, and former Bachelorette Jenn Tran of Bachelor Nation were part of the cast.
Actors Eric Roberts, Reginald VelJohnson, and others were also among the contestants. Celebrity Joey Graziadei and his pro partner Jenna Johnson picked up the champion’s trophy, beating Chandler Kinney, Ilona Maher, and their respective partners. The 34th season of the beloved dance show was announced earlier in 2025. So far, two celebrities have been confirmed as contestants. Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, the son of the late Steve Irwin, is set to join ABC's long-running dance competition. He will be following in the footsteps of his sister, Bindi Irwin, who participated and won ‘DWTS’ season 21.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Robert revealed the advice he got from Bindi. “It's actually really nice. She has just said, ‘Go into this and make it your own.’ She said it's going to be a completely different experience,” he said. Another confirmed contestant of the upcoming ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season is social media influencer Alix Earle. In an interview with 'Good Morning America', Earle gushed over joining the dance competition. She admitted to dancing in high school but has no experience in ballroom dancing. “I'm ready to challenge myself. I think it's going to be a lot of fun,” she told the hosts. ‘DWTS’ season 34 is slated to release sometime in the fall of 2025.
