‘Dancing with the Stars’ Welcomes Back OG Pros for Glittering Len Goodman Tribute
Tucked within the Dancing with the Stars episode, which honored 100 years of Disney magic, was an announcement that shook viewers. Over eight OG fan-favorite pros will return to the ABC series to pay homage to late head judge Len Goodman during its next episode. Many of these pros haven’t appeared on Dancing With the Stars in over a decade. Here are all the details.
Original ‘Dancing with the Stars’ pros pay tribute to Len Goodman
Midway through an episode where season 32 celebrities sprinkled Disney magic in the ballroom was an announcement that shocked viewers. Dancing with the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro shared that to honor Len Goodman, at least eight former pros would return to pay tribute to the judge whose critiques were considered the gold standard.
The OG pros return to pay homage to the tough but tender late head judge. More are set to be announced ahead of the series’ next episode.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, and Tony Dovolani are confirmed to return to the ballroom. Also announced were Anna Trebunskaya, Edyta Śliwińska, Karina Smirnoff, Louis van Amstel, and Mark Ballas.
Many of these pros have not performed in the Dancing with the Stars ballroom since the series’ earliest days. Others, like Mark Ballas, retired from the series in 2022.
What have these former OG pros done since leaving ‘Dancing with the Stars?’
Upon Dancing with the Stars 2005 premiere, the OG pros who led the seasons’ stars were unknown to the viewing audience but had gained a stellar reputation for their ballroom techniques. Most importantly, the dancers had extensive training and experience in the dance genre.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy ended a 17-season run in season 25 as one of Dancing With the Stars‘ most beloved pros. He took home a mirrorball in season 18 alongside Meryl Davis.
Kym Johnson-Herjavec also appeared in 17 seasons of the ABC series. She won a mirrorball two times with celebrities Donny Osmond and Hines Ward.
Tony Dovolani was a 20-season vet. He won a mirrorball trophy in the All-Stars season alongside Melissa Rycroft.
Anna Trebunskaya came in second twice during 11 seasons. Edyta Śliwińska was a pro for the first 10 seasons, returning in season 22.
Karina Smirnoff appeared on 18 seasons of Dancing with the Stars. She won a mirrorball trophy while partnered with actor J.R. Martinez.
Louis van Amstel danced for 11 seasons of the series, and Mark Ballas for 20, winning three mirrorball trophies alongside Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, and Charli D’Amelio.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ fans react to the news
Dancing with the Stars‘ longtime fans took to social media to share their excitement over the news. A Reddit board dedicated to the series was filled with happy fan reactions.
“I can’t explain how happy this made. So excited,” wrote one viewer.
“I SCREAMED when I saw Tony,” penned a second fan.
A third follower stated, “I’m crying! Make this the lineup for next season.”
“Are they the only ones returning? I’m surprised there’s no Sharna, Witney, Lindsay, or Cheryl on this list. Would also like to see Keo too,” exclaimed a fourth social media user.
The theme of the much-anticipated Len Goodman tribute episode has yet to be revealed. Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC and Disney+. New episodes stream the following day on Hulu.
