Dancing with the Stars may be a reality competition staple today, but that wasn’t always the case, as co-host Julianne Hough and judge Bruno Tonioli recall.

In a recent interview with People at the 2026 Disney Upfront, Hough and Tonioli reflected on the pervasive doubt about whether the format would work.

“I mean, this show got turned down so many times at the beginning, because people were like, ‘A ballroom dancing show? Like, what? Is that really a thing?'” Hough recounted to the publication.

Tonioli, an inaugural judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba (who remains on the panel) and the late Len Goodman, noted of the early days, which came a year after the British original, Strictly Come Dancing, developed prior: “It was May 2005, and at the time … Andrea Wong was running ABC, and Bob Iger was working there as well, and I know the story. It is a long story. They told me the story. And everybody was saying, ‘This is never gonna work. They’re crazy.'”

It was Wong who ultimately gave the greenlight, Tonioli said, and shortly afterward, the ballroom dancing contest program became a hit.

“Next year, we were up there with American Idol — I could not believe it,” Tonioli recalled. 

The duo credited the show’s long-lasting popularity to its “beating heart.”

“To see that it’s been around — not only just survived 20 years, but is now thriving more than it ever has — it just goes to show that when you stay in authenticity and integrity of what this show is — which is craftsmanship, just rooting for people to grow and succeed, and go on the journey of transformation, and keep that family experience — that’s timeless,” Hough concluded.

And soon, the legacy will expand: The show has been unsurprisingly renewed for a 35th season, and a forthcoming spinoff series is in the works, titled Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro and to be hosted by Season 34 champ Robert Irwin. The offshoot involves the search for the franchise’s next pro dancer, as 12 up-and-coming competitors move into one house and face off in a grueling audition process for a coveted Season 35 slot.

As previously reported by Deadline, DWTS exploded in popularity last year, raking in its largest audience in years driven by interest from younger viewers. In November, Season 34 posted the show’s highest-rated finale in nearly a decade.

Of the spinoff, Hough told People it’s thrilling to see the next generation of dancers get the chance to “be seen and visible” for their craft at “the highest level.”

“To see the level of talent, to see the dedication and the execution, and then to let them get their flowers and be a part of the biggest dance show in the world,” she said.