“Dancing With the Stars” has yet to pair a male celebrity with a male pro, but an executive producer for the show said it could happen. Find out whether or not it’s likely fans will see this type of pairing anytime soon — perhaps in season 34?
Will There Be a Male Pairing on ‘DWTS’? Show’s EP Says …
In a May 2025 interview with Deadline, “Dancing With the Stars” Executive Producer Ryan O’Dowd weighed in on the possibility of a pairing that’s never been done before — two men.
While discussing Derek Hough and Mark Ballas’ season 33 finale performance of the Argentine Tango, O’Dowd was asked, “Will we ever get two male dancers together in the future?”
The EP noted, “It’s great to do a dance like that in general, with the motivation behind it. Many people said to me they had no idea about the origins of the tango. And I had no idea that it did begin with two males. And so you’ve got to see an unbelievable performance, right?”
O’Dowd continued, “As to your question, I would say we are constantly looking at the ways by which we can push the envelope and produce a show that reflects and represents society as a whole.”
He added, “So I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s something that we’re continuing to discuss.”
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Producer Sheds Light on Controversial Casting Decisions
Speaking of pushing the envelope, O’Dowd also shared his thoughts on some of the controversial casting choices in past seasons.
“Indifference is our biggest enemy when it comes to casting. Deena Katz has cast our show from season one and has done an unbelievable job,” O’Dowd shared. “And I think we’re always talking amongst ourselves about how to book people who are part of the ongoing zeitgeist conversation.”
He continued, “And with Anna Delvey, yes, she was controversial, but people had an opinion.”
Whether people support or oppose a controversial star, their opinions drive viewership.
The “DWTS” producer explained, “I remember many, many years ago listening to Howard Stern, and there was a promo that he used to have running that would say something to the effect of the average Howard Stern lover listens for 42 minutes a day. The average Howard Stern hater listens for an hour and 37 minutes. Why? Because they just want to know what he’s going to say next.”
O’Dowd added, “And so I think that kind of encapsulates this idea that it doesn’t matter why people are tuning in, you’ve just got to get ’em there. And that was a bit of the logic behind the Anna Delvey of it all.”
