Dancing with the Stars has always been a show that prides itself on casting celebrities, many of whom have been on reality television in the past. Typically, though, these stars come from an ABC show or its affiliates, such as The Bachelor. It appears that the ABC competition show has its eyes set on some highly popular reality stars this year, though, despite being on competing networks.
Dancing with the Stars became a massive phenomenon when it first aired, drawing people in with its unique concept of working with untrained dancers whom fans had grown up watching. As the seasons have gone on, the popularity has decreased somewhat, as is the case with many cable and broadband shows recently, thanks to cord-cutting and massive streaming deals.
It is clear that the casting team for Dancing with the Stars has been trying to make headlines with their choices, including some highly controversial picks. Branching out to other highly successful reality shows, including Survivor and The Traitors, is a way for the show to try to bring in other fan bases to increase its viewership. The question is, will any of those stars take the leap?
Boston Rob passed on Dancing with the Stars
The first big name that ABC attempted to recruit is well known to Survivor fans, although he has been on other shows as well. "Boston Rob" Mariano, a CBS Survivor legend, has more recently been on Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors, two branches of the NBC family. Fans who are hoping to see the icon put on his dancing shoes, do not get hopeful. He has already turned down the opportunity. Anyone who saw him try to dance at his wedding, though, may see this as a blessing in disguise.
According to a source leaking casting decisions from The US Sun, "They approached Boston Rob [Mariano]. After The Traitors hype, he was another top name."
While Rob's performance certainly had people talking, it appears he is largely done with reality television. However, a castmate of his who was also highly popular on The Traitors, Dylan Efron, may still grace our screens once more.
The source said: “They would've loved to have both him and Dylan Efron on the season, but Rob declined. DWTS isn't his style, and he has his own projects in the works he is focusing on.”
“Dylan is still in the running, though, he's not counted out yet. They are desperately trying to pull in younger viewers. These guys mixed with the influencers and reality stars will, they're hoping, get some more Gen Z interest.”
Dylan Efron is 33, so he is not exactly a super young influencer. The Traitors may help bring in a wide range of viewership, though, as Dylan was highly popular on his season. Combine that with being known as Zac Efron's brother, and it is certainly possible he could help bring in a younger crowd. Truthfully, Dancing with the Stars is right to want to bring in a younger audience, as they are extremely influential in show success in the current market.
Keep in mind, nothing is set in stone; remember, these are purely rumors. Once the official cast list comes out, we will have a better understanding of exactly what to expect and predictions for how it will impact viewership. Dancing With the Stars season 34 will air Tuesdays this Fall at 8/7c on ABC and will be available to stream on Disney+. The exact premiere date has yet to be announced.