<\/p>\n
Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins will be among the stars competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cSummer House\u2019s\u201d Miller and \u201cThe Traitors\u201d contestant Higgins \u2014 both publicly betrayed by men they trusted on their shows \u2014 are the first celebrities joining Season 35 of \u201cDancing With the Stars.\u201d Disney announced the new season Wednesday during Hulu\u2019s Get Real House event in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n
Miller joins the cast less than a month after it was revealed that her \u201cSummer House\u201d castmate and ex-boyfriend, West Wilson, was dating her friend on the show, Amanda Batula. She teased her \u201cDWTS\u201d news with an Instagram<\/a> video in which she wrote out her \u201cNext Chapter 2026\u201d to-do list, which included \u201cprioritizing\u201d herself, \u201ctaking risks\u201d and \u201cDancing With the Stars.\u201d<\/p>\n Higgins, who lost Season 4 of \u201cThe Traitors\u201d in the finale after being blindsided by her friend and co-star Rob Rausch, rose to prominence on \u201cLove Island\u201d in 2019. Higgins shared her excitement in a video on Instagram<\/a>, saying, \u201cPlease pray for me.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cGet me on that dance floor. I want to win the trophy,\u201d Higgins said. \u201cI\u2019ve manifested this.\u201d<\/p>\n Higgins told reporters at the Get Real House event<\/a> that Mark Ballas is her dream partner. <\/p>\n The announcement comes after a landmark season of \u201cDWTS,\u201d which saw a record-breaking number of fan votes. In November, The Times<\/a> spoke with \u201cDWTS\u201d showrunner Conrad Green, who attributed the ratings spike to reviving \u201ccommunal viewing experiences.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been largely a question of keeping our existing audience and then finding a new audience of 18- to 30-year-olds. That\u2019s partly fed by social media. It\u2019s partly fed by a desire to have communal TV viewing experiences,\u201d Green said. \u201cThat was something everyone had with \u2018American Idol\u2019 and \u2018Dancing With the Stars\u2019 20 years ago, but TV doesn\u2019t lend itself to that so much anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n During the event, Disney also announced a new spinoff series, \u201cDancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.\u201d \u201cDWTS\u201d Season 34 winner Robert Irwin will host the show. According to the synopsis<\/a>, it \u201cfeatures 12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer on Season 35 of \u2018Dancing with the Stars.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDWTS\u201d pro and three-time Mirrorball champion Ballas will host the show alongside his mother, former ballroom dancer Shirley Ballas. The series will premiere July 13 on ABC. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n