Dancing With The Stars Faces Celebrity Casting Challenge: Here’s Why

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) has become known for seeking a diverse group of celebrity contestants each year. But for the upcoming season, DWTS producers face a new challenge. And it relates to the dance competition’s recent changes.

Find out why selecting celebrity contestants this year will become more challenging. And learn more about what to expect from DWTS this year. Get all the details below.

Dancing With The Stars – Execs Want A-List Celebrities

Because of budget cuts, Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) executives worry this year about their celebrity contestant line-up. And though they know they need to boost ratings, producers also need to figure out how to win A-list stars to compete. As a result, casting for season 32 of DWTS has become unusually challenging, an insider told the Sun.

Network execs told the Dancing With The Stars team to look for “household names and fine talent.” But persuading well-known celebrities to compete amid budget cuts makes that goal nearly impossible, according to the source. However, Disney executives “at the very top” insisted to DWTS producers that they “bring the show roaring back,” added the insider.

And despite budget cuts, the Dancing With The Stars team seeking celeb contestants did get one concession. As a result of “smaller than usual” salaries for contestants, execs feel “willing to spend for A-list” stars. But producers will need to find other celebrities to mingle with that top-tier of star contestants.

#EXCLUSIVE: DWTS execs desperate for ‘massive ratings comeback’ after network shakeup- but celebrity casting budget is ‘tight’
https://t.co/G6p20Miqai pic.twitter.com/UVv9LLWBzr

— The US Sun (@TheSunUS) June 11, 2023

Disney – Wants To Expand DWTS Audience

Because the show lost viewers last year, “the parent company executives at Disney” want to see DWTS “win back audiences,” said the insider. “They know last year’s [network] move upset portions of their audience.” As a result, execs told the DWTS team to seek out “household names competing to interest the older viewers.” Because they see “that demographic” as “the core audience on network television, it is vital they return.”

However, DWTS viewers can also expect to see younger celebrities on the show. And the source predicted that the team will choose stars who can share their participation on social media to attract the younger demographic as well. But whatever the stars’ ages, the insider admitted that meeting salary demands remains a serious concern for Dancing With The Stars execs. 

And the source revealed that DWTS lacks “major sums of money to woo the stars. Budgets for talent are extremely tight.” However, if an A-list star seems willing, “then the checkbook may come out. One desire is for the show to bring in faces that have connections to Disney’s family of networks. There is still a desire to give business sections like Disney Plus as much publicity as possible,” explained the insider.

Tell us what you think. Which celebrities would you like to see appear on DWTS for season 32? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more Dancing With The Stars news.