What To Know
- Witney Carson is in the middle of rehearsals for Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars with Guillermo Rodriguez.
- She told TV Insider about how rehearsal schedules have changed since she first joined the show.
- Carson will be competing on Season 35 while pregnant with her third child.
Witney Carson is back in the rehearsal studio for Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars with partner Guillermo Rodriguez. Ahead of her partner reveal, she dished to TV Insider about how the show has changed since she first became a pro in 2014, particularly when it comes to how much time the couples get to practice before show day.
“Back in the day, it was however many hours you wanted, all day, every day, all night, however much,” Carson explained. “Now it’s limited to four hours a day until a certain point in the competition. And then it’s unlimited after you hit a certain point. I think it’s like … I want to say the Quarterfinals, you can rehearse as much as you want.”
Reflecting on her Season 34 journey with Robert Irwin, which resulted in a Mirrorball trophy win, Carson admitted, “The last four weeks of last season, my kids didn’t see me. I was [working] 24/7, and it’s impossible to get everything done without being in the studio all day.”
Carson said, “Four hours a day is not enough for what we have to teach, for sure,” but somehow, the pros make it work. Rehearsals for Season 35 began earlier last week, but the show doesn’t premiere until September 15, so the pairs have a few weeks to prepare before their first dance of the season.
Season 35 will be even more challenging than usual for Carson, as she’s currently pregnant with her third child. But even before she knew Jimmy Kimmel‘s right-hand man was going to be her partner, Carson was already thrilled about his casting on the show (Rodriguez was one of four contestants announced before the official reveal on September 2.)
“I’m actually really excited for Guillermo,” she told us. “I love Guillermo. I think he’s really funny and really sweet. I think he’s going to be like the Andy Richter of the season. He’s going to be the people’s prince for sure. So I’m really curious to see what he has in store because I don’t think I’ve ever seen him dance.”
In addition to Carson, Sharna Burgess is a confirmed returning pro for Season 35. The rest of the pros and their celebrity partners will be announced on Good Morning America on September 2.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 35 Premiere, Tuesday, September 15, 8/7c, ABC
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
