The Bachelor Nation franchise and DWTS have a close relationship to each other. Both reality shows are on ABC. At least one contestant has competed on the celebrity dance competition nearly every year since Dancing With The Stars premiered in 2005. But The Bachelor stars were left off the cast list for the upcoming season and fans think they know why.

Keep reading to find out what’s going on.

Popular Pro Dancer Mark Ballas Breaks Silence On Return To Show

Dancing With The Stars alum Mark Ballas confirmed he’s returning to the ballroom for the new season. He retired from the show in 2023 but ABC was able to lure him back. He’s paired with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt.

He told Us Weekly that injuries were part of the reason why he said goodbye to the show after Season 25. But the injuries have since gotten better. But that’s not the only reason for his return.

“I also am a new dad and I really am excited for my son to see daddy do this,” he said about coming back for Season 34.
‘Dancing With The Stars’ logo/Credit: YouTube

DWTS Season 34 Cast List Excludes Bachelor Nation

Mark Ballas may be back on the dance floor but the Season 34 cast has a few notable absences. Sasha Farber, who paired with Bachelorette Jenn Tran last season, isn’t returning as a pro this year. Jenn Tran was one of two stars from Bachelor Nation on Season 33.

Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor competed and won the Mirrorball trophy. He’s one of several Bachelor Nation stars to win the top prize, but he was the first male contestant.

Fans speculated that Bachelor Grant Ellis or Golden Bachelor stars Leslie Fhima or Joan Vassos would compete on Season 34. But for the first time in years, no one from Bachelor Nation is on DWTS this season. Check out who is:

Olympic Gymnast – Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
80s Actor – Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson
Lead of Pentatonix – Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
Conservationist & TV Personality – Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Social Media Influencer- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
The Parent Trap Actress – Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
Boy Meets World Actress- Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
Comedian- Andy Richter and Emma Slater
The Traitors Star – Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives – Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
Reality Star- Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
NBA Player- Baron Davis and Britt Stewart
5th Harmony Member Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong

Why Bachelor Contestants Were Shut Out For 1st Time In Years

A contestant from Bachelor Nation has competed on ‘DWTS” nearly every season. The first Bachelorette, Trista Sutter, was on the first season of Dancing With The Stars. Why isn’t there one this year?

ABC hasn’t addressed the snub, but fans did. Check out some of the social media comments.

“No Bachelor alum on DWTS…feels like one of the final nails in the coffin for this franchise”
“Problem with bachelor franchise is casting has not vetted well enough to weed out the bad apples.”
“Would’ve been a good time for Joan to do it, but I would understand if she weren’t interested in doing it.”
“DWTS was always for D/Z listers so it doesnt mean much to me”
“I’m not surprised Grant wasn’t picked to go on it, but I did think they might have picked someone from the Golden seasons.”

Season 34 of Dancing With The Stars premieres on Tuesday, September 16. Which celebrity are you rooting for?