Dancing with the Stars executive producer and casting director Deena Katz has admitted the show went through a period in which it sometimes served as "rehab for a career" for celebrities who had fallen out of the spotlight.

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Deena reflected on how Dancing with the Stars' casting philosophy has evolved over the years while discussing the ABC reality dancing competition's recent resurgence during the Television Academy's Televerse Festival on August 15.

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

"I admit there were some seasons past where maybe it felt like people that have gone away, and it's like a rehab for a career," Deena said, according to People.

"And really, I think what [we were] missing is the relevance."

Over the years, Dancing with the Stars has cast a number of celebrities amid controversy or at transitional points in their careers.

Convicted con artist Anna Delvey, for example, competed on Dancing with the Stars' 33rd season in 2024 while wearing an ankle monitor.

And Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte joined Dancing with the Stars' 23rd season in 2016 shortly after he lost fans and sponsors over his disputed account of being robbed at gunpoint while in Rio de Janeiro.

At the time, Ryan acknowledged he hoped appearing on the show would help people see him differently.

But as Dancing with the Stars prepares for Season 35, Deena said producers are increasingly focused on casting celebrities who are currently relevant and already generating interest among viewers.

"You look at this season coming up -- and I'm not going to say who's on the season coming up -- but there's so many people that have really big day jobs right now, and they're taking a moment out of it, or while they're doing it, to come on and do this," Deena explained.

"So you're like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm watching them on something else, and now they're here,'" she continued.

"So you feel like they're in your zeitgeist, and yet they're still on the show at the same time."

That strategy is evident in the upcoming Season 35 cast, which will include The Traitors star Maura Higgins and Summer House star Ciara Miller.

Maura recently made it to the end of The Traitors as the last Faithful standing, while Ciara is coming off a scandal in which her ex, West Wilson, is now dating their co-star Amanda Batula.

Deena also acknowledged that the definition of a celebrity has changed dramatically since Dancing with the Stars premiered in 2005 with only six contestants.

"In the beginning when there were six celebrities, there was a lot less of what a celebrity was," she said.

"We had an athlete, we had a boy-bander, we had a soap opera star. I mean, there weren't that many categories."

Deena said she's had to consider newer forms of celebrity when making casting decisions, even though some of those personalities don't necessarily resonate with her personally.

"The social media star, to me, you know, isn't my lane. But you have to embrace it," she noted.

She elaborated, "There's a lot of shows where I think the producers tend to put people on the show that they love and that they like. We're not making this for us."

Instead, Deena said producers try to assemble a cast that will appeal to different generations and groups of viewers, with the hope that fans will begin watching for one celebrity but ultimately discover and root for someone else.

Deena used her 25-year-old daughter as an example.

According to Deena, her daughter and her friends were initially excited about younger Season 34 contestants, such as Alix Earle and Robert Irwin, before eventually tuning in to watch comedian Andy Richter's journey on the show as well.

"The idea is that you come on for something, but then you fall in love with somebody else, and that's the balance," Deena said.

Dancing with the Stars executive producer Conrad Green agreed the show can bring together viewers who follow different corners of pop culture, according to People.

"The celebrity world, all of media, are so fragmented with all these different groups," Conrad said.

"We're a way of trying to bring it together, and just the unifying thing is that effort and positivity, the attempt to create something."

In addition to relevance, Deena said producers prioritize casting celebrities who genuinely want to compete and are willing to embrace the Dancing with the Stars experience.

"I'd rather have somebody that you might not think is as big of a, let's say, name as somebody else in that category, [if] the other person is just -- their heart and soul is in this," Deena reasoned. "It's going to be better casting on the show."

Dancing with the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro reportedly admitted during the panel that he probably fell into that category at the time he joined Season 19 in 2014.

Alfonso went on to win the season with pro partner Witney Carson before eventually joining the show as its host in 2022.

Alfonso said a celebrity's enthusiasm and willingness to fully commit to the competition can ultimately matter more than the status of his or her career upon entering the ballroom.

Deena agreed and suggested that Alfonso's success demonstrated how important timing can be when casting a celebrity.

"Had I done [Alfonso in Season] 14, maybe he wouldn't have won," Deena said. "Maybe it was like, that was the right time."

The show's evolving approach to casting appears to be paying off.

In addition to reportedly attracting a new generation of viewers and having impressive ratings, Dancing with the Stars earned an Outstanding Reality Competition Program Emmy nomination for the first time in a decade.

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

Dancing with the Stars will return for Season 35 with a two-night premiere beginning Tuesday, September 15 on ABC and Disney+.

While names of cast members have already begun leaking out, the full cast will be revealed Wednesday, September 2 on Good Morning America.




About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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