Everything you need to know about Dancing with the Stars: when it airs, TV, how to vote, participants...
The 31st Season of the celebrity dance competition kicked off this week with a star-studded line-up and a new broadcaster after 17 years on ABC.
Dancing with the Stars returned to television screens this week in a new guise, but bringing the same drama and showmanship that fans know and love.
Celebrities will go head-to-head in a series of dance challenges to be crowned the champion of the country’s favourite dance competition. This year there’s a new broadcaster and a whole host of well-known celebrities donning their dancing shoes for Dancing with the Stars Season 31.
Here’s everything you need to know…
How to watch Dancing with the Stars
The new season will be available to view in the United States exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service. The show had previously aired on ABC for the entirety of its 17-year history but Disney has snapped up the rights to this year’s competition.
The first episode aired on Monday, 19 September at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Live episodes will be aired weekly at the same time throughout the competition, with on-demand replays available to view on Disney+ within an hour of the live stream finishing.
There is no longer the option to watch Dancing with the Stars on a traditional cable or network TV service, so viewers may want to consider adding the Disney+ app on a smart TV or use a streaming device.
How to vote on Dancing with the Stars
While the broadcasting situation has been turned upside down, there has been reassuringly little change to the all-important voting process. Viewers can cast their vote for their favourite pairing with on the official website or by texting in.
There is a new Disney+ voting website for the new season. Alternatively, viewers in the US or Puerto Rico can simply text the first name of your favourite celebrity to 21523 to submit a vote (message and data rates may apply).
Who is competing in Dancing with the Stars Season 31?
This season of Dancing with the Stars will once again be hosted by Tyra Banks, with Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro taking up the co-hosting responsibilities. The judging panel remains unchanged with Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough on the bench.
This year’s contestants, and their ‘pro’ partners, are as follows:
Joseph Baena and pro Daniella Karagach
Selma Blair and pro Sasha Farber
Wayne Brady and pro Witney Carson
Sam Champion and pro Cheryl Burke
Charli D’Amelio and pro Mark Ballas
Heidi D’Amelio and pro Artem Chigvintsev
Jessie James Decker and pro Alan Bersten
Trevor Donovan and pro Emma Slater
Daniel Durant and pro Britt Stewart
Teresa Giudice and pro Pasha Pashkov
Vinny Guadagnino and pro Koko Iwasaki
Cheryl Ladd and pro Louis van Amstel
Jason Lewis and pro Peta Murgatroyd
Shangela and pro Gleb Savchenko
Jordin Sparks and pro Brandon Armstrong
Gabby Windey and pro Val Chmerkovskiy