Dancing With The Stars Season 35: Who Is Favoured To Win & Go Home First?
Dancing With The Stars Season 35
Harry Shum Jr. has emerged as the early favourite to win Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, according to new odds published by Action Network, with the actor and dancer leading a competitive field featuring Olympic athletes, actors, musicians, television personalities and reality stars.
Shum Jr., best known for his performances in Glee and Shadowhunters, has been given +376 odds to win the season, translating to an implied probability of approximately 21%.
Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn is second at +455, while actress and dancer Jenna Dewan completes the top three at +488.
The early numbers provide an indication of how betting markets currently view the 16-celebrity field ahead of the Season 35 premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026. ABC has confirmed that the new season will begin with a two-night premiere before continuing its weekly competition.
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The odds should be treated as an early market assessment rather than a prediction of the eventual result.
Harry Shum Jr Leads Early Championship Picture
Shum Jr.’s position at the top of the market is closely connected to his extensive background in dance and performance.
The actor rose to prominence as Mike Chang on Glee, where choreography and musical performance were central to the show. According to ABC News’ Season 35 cast profile, Shum Jr. also worked as a backup dancer for major artists including Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey before his breakthrough on television.
That background gives him a potentially important advantage in a competition where contestants must learn choreography, work with professional partners and perform different dance styles under the pressure of a live television audience.
Action Network’s analysis similarly points to Shum Jr.’s dance background and physicality as key reasons for his position at the top of the market.
His +376 price means a hypothetical $100 bet would generate $376 in profit, excluding the original stake. The implied probability attached to those odds is approximately 21%.
That figure does not mean Shum Jr. has a guaranteed 21% chance of winning. Implied probability is simply a mathematical interpretation of the listed betting price and can change as markets move.
Still, his position makes him the contestant to watch when the ballroom competition begins.
Amber Glenn Brings Olympic Experience
Amber Glenn sits just behind Shum Jr. in the early winner market.
The Olympic figure skater has been assigned +455 odds, equivalent to an implied probability of approximately 18%.
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Glenn brings a background built around balance, body control, timing, athleticism and performing under pressure — qualities that could translate well to ballroom dancing.
ABC lists Glenn among the Season 35 cast, with professional dancer Pasha Pashkov as her partner.
Figure skating and ballroom dancing are different disciplines, but both require athletes to understand movement, music, timing and presentation.
Those qualities could become particularly valuable as the competition progresses and routines become increasingly demanding.
Action Network’s assessment places Glenn firmly among the leading contenders, suggesting that her athletic background could help her challenge the early favourite.
The relatively small gap between the top three also means that a strong opening performance could quickly alter the championship picture.
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Jenna Dewan Completes Top Three
Jenna Dewan enters Season 35 with one of the most recognisable dance backgrounds in the cast.
The actress has been given +488 odds, producing an implied probability of approximately 17%.
Dewan is particularly associated with dance-centred projects such as Step Up and has extensive professional dance experience.
ABC has confirmed that Dewan will compete alongside professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
Her experience gives her an obvious foundation, although ballroom dancing presents its own technical demands.
That distinction has already generated discussion around the Season 35 cast because several contestants arrive with some form of dance or movement experience.
Dewan’s professional background, combined with her familiarity with performance environments, makes her one of the most closely watched contestants heading into the premiere.
Ezra Frech and Jackson Olson Follow
The next tier of the winner market is headed by Ezra Frech and Jackson Olson, who are both listed at +800.
Frech, a Paralympic track and field athlete, has an implied winning probability of approximately 11%.
Olson, known as a second baseman for the Savannah Bananas, also carries +800 odds.
Their inclusion among the leading contenders demonstrates how broad the competition could become once performances begin.
Athletic ability can provide a strong foundation, but Dancing With the Stars demands more than physical strength. Contestants must learn choreography, interpret music, establish chemistry with their professional partners and connect with the audience.
ABC’s official Season 35 cast announcement confirms the complete lineup and professional pairings.
Julia Stiles Among Outside Championship Contenders
Actress and director Julia Stiles is next at +900, giving her an implied probability of about 10%.
Stiles brings substantial film and television experience into the competition and is particularly recognised for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and the Bourne franchise.
Her connection to Save the Last Dance is particularly notable given the film’s dance focus, although appearing in a dance movie is not the same as competing in ballroom dancing.
Stiles will be paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa, according to ABC’s official cast announcement.
Behind Stiles is comedian and podcaster Connor Wood, who is listed at +1500, corresponding to an implied probability of 6.25%.
The market then becomes considerably more spread out.
Guillermo Rodriguez, known for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has odds of +2400, while Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Tyler Cameron are all listed at +3233.
Each of those contestants has an implied probability of approximately 3%.
Giada De Laurentiis Faces Toughest Early Elimination Outlook
At the opposite end of the winner market is celebrity chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis, who has been given +9900 odds to win the season.
Her implied probability is approximately 1%, putting her among the biggest outsiders for the championship.
The same market lists actress and singer Tatyana Ali at +9900.
However, De Laurentiis’ more immediate concern could be surviving the opening stage of the competition.
Action Network’s published first-elimination odds identify De Laurentiis as the contestant with the highest probability of being eliminated first.
She is priced at +100, representing an implied probability of 50%.
That makes her the clearest early elimination candidate in the published market.
The odds should not be interpreted as a judgment that De Laurentiis cannot dance. Rather, they reflect the difference between her professional background and contestants who have spent years working in dance, athletics or performance.
ABC describes De Laurentiis as an Emmy-winning chef, cookbook author, restaurateur and entrepreneur who is entering the ballroom with professional dancer Alan Bersten.
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Action Network’s spokesperson similarly noted that her career has not required the same level of rhythmic and performance training associated with several of the leading contenders.
At the same time, the analysis acknowledged that the competition can produce surprises once the ballroom lights come on.
Conner Leavitt Also Under Pressure
Conner Leavitt, a cast member of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has the second-highest probability of being eliminated first.
His +113 odds translate to an implied probability of approximately 47%.
That places Leavitt remarkably close to De Laurentiis in the early elimination market.
Leavitt will compete with professional dancer Adele Zaikman, according to ABC’s official cast announcement.
Tatyana Ali follows at +245, giving her an implied probability of about 29%.
Ali is best known for her role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and enters the competition with considerable television and entertainment experience.
Her early elimination odds contrast sharply with her championship price of +9900, illustrating how a contestant can be viewed as an outsider for the overall title while still having a realistic chance of progressing beyond the opening round.
Sarah Jane Nader and Taylor Hanson Round Out Top Five
Sarah Jane Nader, known for Love Thy Nader, has +257 odds of being eliminated first, translating to approximately 28%.
Musician Taylor Hanson rounds out the top five at +285, equivalent to an implied probability of approximately 26%.
Hanson’s presence adds another musician to a competition where rhythm and stage performance can provide useful foundations.
However, ballroom dancing presents technical challenges that are different from performing with a band.
Hanson has already acknowledged the challenge of learning ballroom, with Entertainment Weekly reporting that he views the experience as different from his normal stage performances.
That makes his journey one of the more intriguing storylines to follow once the competition gets underway.
What the Early Odds Mean for Season 35
The biggest takeaway from the Action Network numbers is the contrast between contestants with established dance or athletic backgrounds and those entering the competition from completely different professional worlds.
Shum Jr., Dewan and Glenn occupy the top three places in the winner market, with each bringing either direct dance experience or athletic qualities that could translate into strong ballroom performances.
At the other end, De Laurentiis and Leavitt sit at the top of the first-elimination market.
Yet Dancing With the Stars is ultimately about more than technical ability.
Viewer support, personality, improvement, chemistry with professional partners and the ability to tell a story through performance can all influence how far contestants go.
That is particularly important because the Season 35 format begins with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, giving viewers an early opportunity to see whether the market’s expectations match what happens on the ballroom floor.
The first performances could therefore dramatically reshape the picture.
For now, however, Shum Jr. begins Season 35 as the name to beat.
His +376 price gives him the strongest position in Action Network’s early winner market, followed by Glenn at +455 and Dewan at +488.
At the other end, De Laurentiis enters under the greatest pressure, with +100 odds making her the leading candidate for the first elimination.
The ballroom will ultimately decide whether those early numbers prove accurate.
Until then, the odds provide an intriguing starting point for a season featuring actors, athletes, musicians, chefs, reality personalities and television stars — many of whom will be stepping outside their usual professional environments and onto one of television’s most demanding dance floors.
Source: Action Network. Odds are for illustrative and editorial purposes and can change as the competition progresses.
