Why Is Sharna Burgess Returning to DWTS Season 35 After Five Years Away?

Sharna Burgess is officially returning to Dancing with the Stars for Season 35, ending a five-year absence from the competition, and the timing is not accidental. Burgess has said she simply was not ready when producers explored a possible comeback last year, largely because of family commitments and other career projects. Over the past year, however, she realized how much she missed dancing and felt especially reconnected to the DWTS community after attending DWTS Con. Her return was confirmed on Good Morning America on August 24, with Burgess describing the ballroom as a place that feels like home. Season 35 will be her first competitive season since 2021 and her 15th as a DWTS professional.

Why is Sharna Burgess returning to DWTS now?

The simplest answer is that Burgess finally feels ready to make dancing a major part of her life again. Speaking to Us Weekly earlier in August, she revealed that DWTS producers had informally explored bringing her back for Season 34, but she did not feel the timing was right. Her son was not yet in school, and she was also developing acting work and other projects outside the ballroom. Burgess said that changed when she reached a point where she realized she needed dance back in her life. After spending time with fans and former colleagues at DWTS Con, she said she felt energized by the experience and believed she still had much more to contribute.

Her comments make the Season 35 return feel less like a surprise career reversal and more like something she had gradually been moving toward. Burgess did not spend the entire five-year period disconnected from the franchise, appearing during the show’s 500th episode in 2024 and continuing her work as a judge on Dancing with the Stars Australia. Still, competing as a professional requires a very different commitment from appearing as a guest or judge. When Burgess announced her comeback on GMA, she emphasized how good it felt to be returning to her “dancing family.” She also made clear that she is returning to compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, not simply appearing in a limited or mentoring role.

Why was Sharna away from Dancing with the Stars?

Burgess’ absence was caused by several different circumstances rather than one straightforward resignation from the show. Her last competitive appearance came in Season 30 in 2021, when she partnered her now-fiance Brian Austin Green. She then sat out Season 31 after giving birth to their son Zane in 2022, explaining later that he was only eight weeks old when rehearsals were beginning and that she wanted to remain focused on motherhood. Burgess expected that stepping away would be temporary, but she was not invited back for Season 32, something she later admitted was difficult because she had expected to return. Her history with DWTS had already included another unexpected absence in Season 28 before she returned for Seasons 29 and 30.

That history also explains why calling this simply a five-year voluntary break would be misleading. Burgess made choices to prioritize motherhood and other work, but there were also seasons when the decision was not entirely hers. By 2025, producers were showing renewed interest, although Burgess herself decided she was not ready to make the commitment. Season 35 is different because both sides now appear to want the reunion at the same time. Burgess even said before today’s official announcement that she would accept if DWTS asked her back this year.

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Who will Sharna Burgess dance with in Season 35?

Burgess’ celebrity partner has not been announced yet. ABC confirmed her return as a professional on August 24, but the remaining celebrity-pro pairings are scheduled to be revealed on Good Morning America on September 2. Several celebrities have already been officially announced for Season 35, including Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez, with Guillermo paired with returning pro Witney Carson. Burgess therefore joins a Season 35 professional lineup that is still being assembled publicly. Any claim about her celebrity partner before an official announcement should be treated as speculation rather than confirmed casting.

For Burgess, the more meaningful story is that the comeback has finally reached the point she was not ready for one year ago. She has already won the Mirrorball once, with Bobby Bones in Season 27, so this is not about proving that she can succeed on DWTS for the first time. Instead, Season 35 gives her an opportunity to return to a part of her career she discovered she genuinely missed while approaching the experience from a different stage of her life. Burgess spent years balancing motherhood, acting and other television work outside the U.S. ballroom. Now, after repeatedly describing dance as something she wanted back, she has chosen to compete again rather than simply watch the franchise continue without her.