Professional dancer Rylee Arnold revealed that her partner Connor Wood was not fully prepared for the live performance aspect of Dancing With the Stars following the season 35 premiere on Sept. 15, 2026.
Speaking to E! News reporter Will Marfuggi in an exclusive joint interview after the premiere, Arnold explained that stepping onto the ballroom floor for a live television broadcast creates pressure that rehearsal cannot replicate.
Arnold, 21, said competitors spend extensive time in rehearsal preparing their routines, but they receive only one opportunity to execute the choreography live on television. She added that Wood performed very well despite the stress as they compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Dancing With the Stars is an American reality television competition series broadcast on ABC. The show pairs celebrity contestants with professional ballroom dancers to perform routines each week before a panel of judges and a national voting audience.
Connor Wood on Premiere Night Pressure
Wood, 31, shared his own reaction after completing his debut routine in the ballroom. The comedian and podcaster, who is known on social media as Fibula, admitted to feeling an unfamiliar mix of physical emotions following his performance.
Wood said he did not know how to describe the feeling, calling it a weird sensation. He said he felt like he might throw up while also feeling really hungry, adding that he had never felt that combination before.
The podcaster added that couples do not practice inside the main broadcast ballroom before the live show. He explained that going out onto the stage felt kind of blind as a result.
Rylee Arnold and Teaching Technique Scrutiny
Arnold understood Wood's position as a newcomer to the live competition. She joined the series as a professional dancer three years ago in 2023. Since making her debut on the pro roster, the Utah native has coached celebrity partners including reality television star Harry Jowsey and Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik.
Arnold comes from a family of ballroom dancers. Her sister Lindsay Arnold previously served as a professional coach on the program. Despite her family background and coaching experience, Arnold faced online criticism from viewers during her career on the show.
In 2025, Arnold addressed fan criticism regarding her teaching methods during an interview on The Morning After (Show) with host Julianne Hough. She noted that critics online claimed she would not be invited back for future seasons or alleged that she did not know how to teach.
Arnold told Hough that she would love to return for additional seasons if the show wanted her, describing public scrutiny from critics as just noise.
Pro Dancers and Returning Cast Members
The season 35 premiere also featured the return of veteran professional dancer Sasha Farber. Farber returned to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for the opening episode without being assigned as a pro partner to a celebrity contestant for the season.
Season 35 Celebrity Couples Roster
The 35th season of the series features sixteen celebrity contestants from television, film, sports, and social media paired with professional ballroom dancers.
Movie actress Julia Stiles, who starred in the 1999 teen romantic comedy film 10 Things I Hate About You, is paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is competing alongside pro Alan Bersten.
Actor Harry Shum Jr., known for his role as Mike Chang on the musical television series Glee, is performing with pro Jenna Johnson. Singer Taylor Hanson, a former 1990s teen heartthrob who rose to fame with the pop hit MMMBop, is paired with Britt Stewart.
Actress Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is paired with Jan Ravnik. Actress and dancer Jenna Dewan, who starred in the dance movie Step Up twenty years ago, is competing with veteran pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
Figure skater Amber Glenn, who competed for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, transitions from ice to the ballroom with partner Pasha Pashkov. Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech, who also represented Team USA, is paired with pro Daniella Karagach.
More Stars Joining the Competition
Reality television star Sarah Jane Nader of Love Thy Nader is competing with pro Hailey Bills. Her appearance follows her sister Brooks Nader, who competed on season 33 of the series.
Reality television personality Conner Leavitt, who stars in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is paired with Adele Zaikman. His participation comes after his wife Whitney Leavitt competed on season 34.
Tyler Cameron, who appeared on The Bachelorette in Bachelor Nation, is paired with pro Sharna Burgess. Baseball player Jackson Olson of the Savannah Bananas exhibition team is competing alongside pro Emma Slater.
Guillermo Rodriguez, a long-time television personality on the late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is paired with pro Witney Carson.
Summer House and Love Island Contestants
Reality television personality Ciara Miller of Summer House is paired with professional dancer Brandon Armstrong for the season 35 competition.
In an exclusive interview with E! News in June, Miller discussed her physical conditioning ahead of the season. She noted that looks are not indicative of being in shape, admitting she huffs and puffs going up the stairs and needed to return to the gym to work on her stamina.
Reality television star Maura Higgins, who gained fame on Love Island UK, is paired with veteran pro Mark Ballas.
Higgins told E! News in May that competing on the show fulfilled a personal goal she set on a vision board. She explained that on New Year's Eve, she stayed home alone with a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine to update her vision board, adding five extra Dancing With the Stars entries to her board after featuring the show the previous year.
