Dancing With the Stars Season 35 just turned up the heat with its first two celebrity signings (April 22), Bravo personality Ciara Miller and Love Island/ Traitors alum Maura Higgins. The pair were announced during Hulu’s Get Real House event, and fans across reality-TV fandoms reacted immediately. 

For Ciara, the booking feels like a coronation. The Summer House star recently found herself at the center of a high-profile cast scandal after ex-boyfriend West Wilson and former best friend Amanda Batula confirmed they had been secretly dating.

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Following the fallout, social media lit up with posts predicting Ciara’s arrival on the ballroom floor, and many fans are calling this move her "It-girl era."

It’s a logical next step for a reality star who’s already no stranger to competitive formats. Ciara appeared on The Traitors Season 3 and has a decade of ballet training under her belt, and who recently told Glamour she’s "always grateful and thankful for reality TV," noting how the genre helped give her confidence and career opportunities.

@tiffanygoldstein Ariana Madix pleaseeee check in on Ciara 👏 #summerhouse #amandabatula #westwilson #ciaramiller #bravo ♬ Opalite Instrumental - Dan Swift Del Rey

Maura Higgins brings a different kind of energy. The Irish model, who placed second on The Traitors Season 4 after a dramatic betrayal by fellow contestant Rob Rausch, is known for both her sharp charisma and her competitive streak.

"I was 1,000,000% convinced that I was winning the show," she told Elite Daily earlier this year, shrugging off the loss while confessing she’d told the cameras, "Just give me my money. I’ve won."

 Fans of The Traitors are ecstatic to see her back on screens and view her DWTS entry as a chance to see a new side of Maura – glamorous, focused, and ready to perform.

Those fandoms are already bridging into crossover speculation. Traitors watchers are theorizing Rob Rausch might follow Maura into the DWTS lineup, which would set up a tantalizing rematch. Bravoholics, meanwhile, are celebrating 

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Behind the scenes, Dancing With the Stars remains the same competitive showcase it’s always been. Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro are set to host Season 35, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel. Variety reported the initial announcement but confirmed that full casting and professional partners for Ciara and Maura have yet to be revealed. The season will premiere this fall on Disney+.

If producers lean into these narratives, the Bravo scandal and the Traitors rivalry – Season 35 could be one of the more story-driven cycles in recent memory. Whether viewers are tuning in for the steps or the storylines, Ciara  and Maura have already made the premiere must-watch TV for multiple fandoms. The only remaining question for many fans – who else will join the cast, and will Rob Rausch crash the party?

Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images