It’s that time of year again when reality show contestants and other recognizable personalities start throwing their names in the hat for Dancing With the Stars. Season 34 of the reality competition series is still six months away, but that hasn’t stopped current Bachelor star Grant Ellis from entering the chat.
“It’s something that I would love to do, but whatever’s going to happen is going to happen,” Ellis told Parade when asked about his interest in appearing on the ABC show. “I think that people will be surprised how good of a dancer I am. I think I probably surprised myself sometimes.”
Did the 31-year-old reality star just secure himself a spot on Dancing With the Stars? Probably, but we are going to argue why the dancing show should break up with the dating series or at least rethink the category for the fall. Bachelor Nation might not love us saying so, but it’s time to take a breather.
Dancing With the Stars Season 33 Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber
Why skipping a Bachelor Nation contestant is a good idea
Over the last seven seasons, there has been a cast member from The Bachelor/Bachelorette on Dancing With the Stars — that takes viewers back to Season 27 in Fall 2018 to be exact. “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile had a surprisingly long run on the show, coming in 6th with pro Jenna Johnson (the same week that the very talented Juan Pablo Di Pace was controversially eliminated with pro Cheryl Burke). It was quite evident that Bachelor Nation had kept the personable Amabile in the race longer than some longtime fans wanted — they don’t love it when it becomes a popularity contest.
CARRIE ANN INABA, DEREK HOUGH, MARK BALLAS, BRUNO TONIOLI on Dancing With the Stars
Once that Bachelor voting block was revealed, a casting trend began with two back-to-back winners in the subsequent seasons: Hannah Brown and Kaitlyn Bristowe. Win or lose, ABC was all-in for cross-promoting Dancing With the Stars with its other long-running reality series. Now, that a Bachelor star has finally won the show with the very charming Joey Graziadei, it seems like the perfect time to take a break.
How do the Dancing With the Stars fans feel?
The veteran viewers of the dance show have some strong feelings about the situation — it’s a topic that is often hotly debated on Reddit. One four-year-old thread proves that it’s a dialogue that happens every season. “So, I don’t like The Bachelor or Bachelorette and honestly the fans are kinda annoying, but ABC will continue to cast them because they’re easy to cast and they know it’ll bring in viewers,” admitted one user. Another added in a 2025 discussion, “So, I know that casting needs to open its boxes a bit more, but it’s kinda obvious we’ll see a Bachelor Nation representative.”
Last season brought us two contestants: Graziadei and Bachelorette Jenn Tran, who was a last-minute casting choice. Bachelor Nation kept Tran around for as long as they could, but the split votes eventually cannibalized her dancing journey. With The Bachelorette taking a pause this summer, Dancing With the Stars could do the same with this casting category.
DANCING WITH THE STARS - “Finale” - Once again, the finale episode will have five couples competing for a chance at winning the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The finalists will each perform a redemption dance assigned by our judges, plus an unforgettable freestyle routine. TUESDAY, NOV. 26 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC. (Disney/Eric McCandless) JOEY GRAZIADEI, JENNA JOHNSON
Who should Dancing With the Stars cast instead?
Soaps.com already has a running list of possible contenders for Season 34, including current Traitors stars Dylan Efron and Tom Sandoval, Olympian Jordan Chiles, and Derek Hough’s pick, actor Taylor Lautner. “Taylor Lautner would be good,” he told Parade. “He would be great. He would be fantastic. Competitive, athletic.”
We would also love to see the show bring back a General Hospital star since it’s a fantastic way to promote daytime shows, and Cameron Mathison, Kelly Monaco and Jack Wagner all brought fans to the table. But if ABC absolutely must bring in a Bachelor contestant for Season 34, maybe it should be someone from the Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. At least that spinoff has been untapped for casting, and it would bring in a fresh perspective even if Ellis swears he has all the right dancing moves.
See how we ranked every single Dancing With the Stars winner over the years in the gallery below.
