Tonight is premiere night for Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, and everyone is excited to kick this new season off. But one judge is missing from the judge’s panel, and it may have DWTS fans scratching their heads.
After all, it’s kind of early in the season for a judge to be missing, and there is no guest judge in sight. So, where is Carrie Ann Inaba?
It turns out, the longtime DWTS judge is “under the weather” as she shared with fans on Instagram earlier today. Just hours before the DWTS Season 34 debut, she took to social media to share that she won’t be there later tonight.
On an Instagram post, she wrote, “I wanted to share that I will not be at the show tonight as I am feeling quite under the weather. I’m resting up and can’t wait to be back next week in good health.”
She continued, “In the meantime, I wish all the contestants the very best of luck. I’ll be cheering you on from home.” Have a great show everyone!”
Who are the judges for Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars?
The judges’ table for Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars has not changed. While Carrie Ann Inaba won’t be on hand for the premiere, she will join Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli next week.
This season marks 20 years of hosting for both Carrie Ann and Bruno, who have been with the show since it started in 2005. Derek joined Carrie Ann and Bruno at the judges’ table in 2020 after 17 seasons of being a professional dancer for the show.
Len Goodman was also one of the original DWTS judges and served from 2005 to 2022, before retiring with the intent to spend more time with his grandchildren. He died months later, in April 2023, at 78 years old, after a brief battle with bone cancer.
Season 34 stars promise to bring plenty of fun to DWTS
Season 34 of DWTS has a varied cast of celebrities joining their pro dance partners for some fun on the ballroom floor. They include Jen Affleck, Hilaria Baldwin, Jordan Chiles, Baron Davis, Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Corey Feldman, Danielle Fishel, Elaine Hendrix, Robert Irwin, Scott Hoying, Whitney Leavitt, Lauren Jauregui, and Andy Richter.
There’s already been some drama as Corey Feldman’s partner, Jenna Johnson, spoke out about how she hadn’t seen Feldman in rehearsals for many days. They have since reunited and will be performing tonight.
There was also some chatter on social media when Emma Slater was paired with Andy Richter but she told Melanie Miller, “I have literally the best partner. I feel so lucky to have Andy.”
Dancing with the Stars airs live on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
