The Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast apparently had to agree to more than just learning the cha-cha before signing on.
According to a report from The Sun, producers made TikTok participation mandatory for this season’s celebrity contestants — and the new requirement reportedly caused some potential cast members to walk away from the show.
A DWTS source told the outlet that producers are placing more emphasis on social media than ever before after last season saw a massive increase in voting and record-breaking numbers.
“Following last year’s uptick in votes and all the records broken from the amount of votes that came in, the producers are emphasizing social media more this season than any other year,” the source claimed.
Prospective contestants were reportedly told that social media would be a “larger … and now mandatory” part of the casting process.
And apparently, not everyone wanted to become a TikTok influencer in exchange for a shot at the Mirrorball Trophy. The source claimed that “multiple” prospective cast members walked away because they weren’t interested in taking on the additional content demands.
The identities of those celebrities have not been revealed.
Anyone who made the Season 35 cast, however, reportedly had to agree to participate in TikTok content promoting the show and encouraging fans to vote.
The insider claimed that a contestant’s social media performance has become increasingly important because more engagement can translate into more votes and viewers.
In other words, the ballroom isn’t the only place where DWTS contestants are competing for attention.
And judging by the cast’s TikTok activity ahead of the premiere, they’re already putting that requirement to work.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+.
