Dancing with the Stars has announced that Sharna Burgess will be returning as a pro partner for Season 35 this fall.

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Sharna, 41, is making her Dancing with the Stars comeback after a five-year hiatus. She hasn't competed on the ABC reality dancing competition since Season 30 in 2021.

RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)

Dancing with the Stars announced the big news on its official Instagram account.

"A little birdie told us an absolute firecracker is back in the ballroom [firework emoji]. Please give @sharnaburgess a warm welcome on her return as a #DWTS pro!" the show wrote on Monday, August 24, alongside a video of Sharna blowing a kiss to the camera.

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Sharna also gushed, "I'm back," during Monday's episode of Good Morning America.

"Some of you guys guessed it. [I] can finally confirm I'm back on Dancing with the Stars, baby," she told viewers.

"I'm going to be competing for that Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. I can't wait to be back in the ballroom with my dancing family. And mostly, it feels so good to be coming home. I'll see you all soon."

Sharna did not reveal who her celebrity partner is going to be.

Dancing with the Stars' 35th season will mark Sharna's 15th season as a pro.


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The Australian ballroom dancer and choreographer will join previously-announced pro Witney Carson, who will be pregnant when she competes alongside her celebrity partner, Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez.

When Sharna had announced her departure from the show in August 2022, she explained how she wanted to focus on being a mom to her now 4-year-old son Zane, whom she welcomed with Brian Austin Green, her husband of four years.

Brian also has four children from previous relationships with Vanessa Marcil and Megan Fox.

Sharna made an appearance on Dancing with the Stars' milestone 500th episode in late 2024, but she told Us Weekly earlier this summer at the show's first fan convention, Dancing with the Stars Con 2026, that she "wasn't ready" to come back for Season 34 in 2025.

"My son was not in school yet, and I was building on other things," Sharna explained. "I've been acting and doing a lot of other stuff, too."

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But about a year ago, Sharna said she woke up one morning and realized, "I need dance back in my life."

She therefore noted, "If they were to ask me this year, I would absolutely say yes."

Sharna's experience at Dancing with the Stars Con in Palm Springs, CA -- where she got to meet supportive fans and reunite with DWTS pros -- apparently reignited her desire to return.

"I can't tell you how happy my heart, my soul and my body is doing this," Sharna told the magazine. "And I think I still have a lot more to give."

Sharna confirmed that being a mother wouldn't stop her from performing on Dancing with the Stars since several of her friends have proven it's possible to have both a family and a demanding career.


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"We can do it all. It's just learning how you can balance it," she boasted.

"We see [Daniella Karagach] and [Jenna Johnson] doing it with their babies out there, and I commend them for it because it's so spectacular the way they do that. We can have it all... And I think it would be a different version of me that came back if I ever got the chance."

In addition to Guillermo, the other Dancing with the Stars celebrities who have been confirmed for Season 35 are Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson, Love Island UK alum Maura Higgins, and Summer House star Ciara Miller.

Maura and Ciara both competed on separate seasons of The Traitors. Maura memorably finished as the runner-up on The Traitors' fourth season.

And according to sources, The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron and Step Up actress Jenna Dewan have signed on for Dancing with the Stars' upcoming season, Us Weekly reported.


The full cast of celebrities and professional dancers competing on the next season of Dancing with the Stars won't be announced until Wednesday, September 2 on Good Morning America.

Dancing with the Stars is set to return with a two-night premiere beginning on Tuesday, September 15 on ABC.

Sharna competed on Dancing with the Stars from Season 16 through Season 30 except for Season 28. Her only win came with Bobby Bones on Season 27, although their victory was controversial.

RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)

Bobby faced a lot of backlash for winning the mirrorball trophy despite criticism of his dancing ability in the Dancing with the Stars finale.

In December 2025, Sharna shut down the idea that there was a "toxic" culture behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars.














About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.