‘Dancing with the Stars’ premieres tonight: How to watch and what to know

Dancing with the Stars season 31 is finally here!

The new star-studded season premieres Monday, September 19 live at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Disney+ only.

Alfonso Ribeiro and Tyra Banks co-host the new season, and Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough return as judges.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the new season.

How to watch Dancing with the Stars

Unlike previous seasons, which were broadcast live on ABC, you can catch your favorite stars on Disney+.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the show would be moved to the streaming platform after 30 seasons on ABC.

This season premieres live on Disney+ on Monday, September 19 at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

The show will be the first live series to debut on the streaming service.

What to expect from Banks and Ribeiro as co-hosts

Banks returns as co-host of season 31 of Dancing with the Stars – this time with Ribeiro by her side.

The supermodel and creator of America’s Next Top Model became the show’s first solo host for its 29th season in 2020. Ribeiro, who rose to fame on the television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, became her co-host in July. He is also a former Mirror Ball champion, having won the show’s 19th season while working with pro Witney Carson.

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Ribeiro said three words to describe the upcoming season: “amazing,” “spectacular,” and “heartwarming.”

This isn’t the first time Ribeiro and Banks have collaborated on a TV show; Banks had an arc in 1993’s “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as Jackie Ames, a childhood friend and former friend of Will Smith’s character. Ribeiro said the duo had “a great time” and “was together the whole time” while filming Fresh Prince.

The pros are returning to the ballroom this season

Dancing with the Stars fans can expect to see several Mirror Ball champions return to the ballroom this season, including dance pros Alan Bersten, Cheryl Burke, Peta Murgatroyd, Artem Chigvintsev, Val Chmerkovskiy, Witney Carson and the reigning Mirror Ball Champion Daniella Karagach.

Fans will also see two familiar faces returning to the show after some time. Louis Van Amstel, who was cast in the show’s early seasons, returns for season 31 after seven years, and two-time Mirror Ball winner Mark Ballas will return after five years.

See the official partner photos for the coming season here.

Which Stars Are Coming In Season 31?

Earlier this month, the full celebrity cast for the upcoming season was announced exclusively on GMA.

The exciting cast includes actress Selma Blair, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela, CODA actor Daniel Durant, Bachelorette star Gabby Windey and many more.

TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and her mother Heidi D’Amelio are also making “DWTS” history as the first family members to compete on the show.

“The two that are going to be great stories: Daniel Durant and Selma Blair,” Ribeiro told GMA. “These two stories are going to be absolutely amazing and every time they hit the dance floor it will automatically come as a surprise what they will deliver.”

As the Mirror Ball champion, Ribeiro said his advice to contestants is “honesty with the crowd.”

“Let the audience get to know you and fall in love with you during that process because if they know you, they have a vested interest in what happens to you,” Ribeiro said.

See the full celebrity cast here.

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