Stepping into the ballroom! Gabby Windey, Jordin Sparks and Wayne Brady are officially joining the season 31 cast of Dancing With the Stars, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
The Bachelorette, 31, Sparks, 32, and Brady, 50, will all be competing against each other in the upcoming installment of the reality series, which is set to air on Disney+, beginning September 19.
Windey, the “No Air” singer and the comedian are just three of many contestants who will be vying for the mirrorball. Last month, Us confirmed that TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and mom Heidi D’Amelio would also appear in the upcoming season. The mother-daughter duo are both former competitive dancers and they have already defended their participation in the show.
“I would love to do a little nod to why I am even here and what got me here, but I think I’m really going to work on the technical sides of ballroom,” Charli said during a Wednesday, September 7, interview on Good Morning America.
Heidi, for her part, revealed it’s been a “long time” since she competed in dance. “We’ll see if it’s like riding a bike [and I can] pick up choreography,” she said.
In July, it was revealed Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli would be making a return as judges. The following month, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Brandon Armstrong, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov teamed up for season 31 promo footage, confirming they would also be stepping back into the ballroom.
“The mirrorball’s makeover? It’s a 
from us. 
,” the reality TV series’ official Instagram wrote alongside the official poster in August, which showcased the pros dancing underneath a Mickey Mouse-shaped mirrorball.
“YESSSSSS CANT WAIT,” Carson, 28, replied via Instagram comment at the time.
While pro Jenna Johnson will be skipping this year’s competition due to her first pregnancy, Us confirmed that her husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, would be competing, despite previous speculation that the Ukraine native, 36, would be exiting the series.
Hosting duties will also look slightly different this year, with Alfonso Ribiero, who was a contestant on season 19 of the show, serving as cohost to Tyra Banks.
“Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially join this tight-knot family as cohost,” the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, 50, said in a July statement. “Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+.”
In April, ABC announced the show would be moving to Disney+ after over a decade on network television.
“The show’s broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for Dancing With the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach,” Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution chairman Kareem Daniel said in a statement at the time, making it the first live series to debut on the platform.
“As we’re significantly expanding our unscripted slate at ABC, this is a great opportunity to introduce this show to a whole new generation of fans on Disney+,” Walt Disney Chairman of Entertainment Dana Walden added in the press release, noting that DWTS has brought “so much joy to millions of viewers” during its time on the air.
Burke, 38, for her part, exclusively told Us in May that she was “excited for the show possibilities” on a streaming service and that she had been “dreaming about how we’re going to do quick changes and set changes with no commercial breaks,” adding that the switch was an “opportunity for potential new fans to discover” the beloved program.”
Hough, 37, had a slightly hesitant response to the news but came around quickly. “Within 10 seconds, I was very, very excited about it,” he told Entertainment Tonight in May. “I think that’s where a lot of things are moving toward. It’s more opportunity for more performances, more dances, more creativity so I’m excited about that too.”
Dancing With the Stars season 31 premieres on Disney+ Monday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET.
