There is no such thing as a Dancing With the Stars 2025 semi-finals — not because the results were hidden, but because the season doesn’t exist. The so-called "Prince Night" event, supposedly featuring six contestants and dramatic score reveals, is pure fiction, a phantom broadcast born from misinformation and wishful thinking. As of July 2023, ABC Entertainment had not announced a Season 32, and all signs point to the long-running dance competition being quietly shelved after its 2022 finale. The show’s last episode aired on November 21, 2022, at ABC Studios in Los Angeles, with no official word since. Fans hoping for a return in 2025 are chasing ghosts.
Why Season 32 Never Happened
ABC’s 2023–2024 fall schedule, announced on May 16, 2023, made no mention of Dancing With the Stars. Instead, the network doubled down on its The Bachelor franchise, which now dominates its Tuesday and Monday night slots. The show’s viewership had been in steady decline: Season 31 averaged 5.3 million viewers per episode in Live+7 ratings, down 12% from Season 30. The semi-finals drew just 4.8 million — a number that, for a show once pulling in over 15 million, signaled a fading cultural footprint.
Behind the scenes, the writing was on the wall. Executive producer Tyra Banks, who took over hosting duties in Season 29 and became a central figure in the show’s branding, left after Season 31. No replacement was named. Co-executive producers Andrew Llinares and David Ruskey also vanished from public credits after 2023. The judging panel — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and the late Bruno Tonioli — was never reconstituted. Tonioli’s departure after Season 31 was particularly symbolic; he was the last original judge from the show’s 2005 debut.
The "Prince Night" Myth
Even if a Season 32 had been greenlit, "Prince Night" would have been unprecedented. In its 31-season history, Dancing With the Stars has never held a night themed around Prince — not even a tribute during the 2016 season following his death. The closest was "Disney Night" in Season 31, which leaned into nostalgia but still followed the show’s established pattern of pop culture, holiday, or genre-themed weeks. The idea of a "Prince Night" suggests either a fan fantasy or a deepfake-generated rumor, possibly seeded by AI-generated social media posts that mimic official content.
Moreover, the show has always withheld scores until live broadcast. No semi-final scores are ever leaked, previewed, or "revealed" in advance — a fact that makes the claim of "2025 scores revealed" not just false, but fundamentally incompatible with the show’s production DNA.
Financial and Corporate Signals
The Walt Disney Company’s 2023 Annual Report, filed on November 16, 2023, listed no budget allocation for Dancing With the Stars beyond fiscal year 2023. Each episode of Season 31 cost roughly $1.2 million to produce — a steep price tag for a show losing momentum. Meanwhile, BBC Studios, the British licensor of the format, settled a $500,000 royalty dispute with Prospect Park in 2022, but no new licensing agreements have surfaced since. Without a clear path to profitability or a compelling creative reboot, the show’s future is effectively dead.
Even the show’s digital presence has gone silent. The last verified post from its official Instagram account was on December 31, 2023 — a throwback clip from Season 31. No teasers, no casting rumors, no behind-the-scenes glimpses. In an era where reality shows are routinely teased a year in advance, this silence speaks louder than any announcement ever could.
What Comes Next?
For now, the door remains technically open — but barely. ABC would need to announce a new season by May 2025 to even consider a 2025 fall run. Given the lack of movement, the absence of key talent, and the network’s clear strategic pivot away from dance competitions, that announcement is vanishingly unlikely. The show’s legacy lives on in reruns and fan forums, but as a live, weekly event, Dancing With the Stars has already ended.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about one show fading away. It’s part of a larger shift in how audiences consume entertainment. Reality competition shows that rely on celebrity appeal and predictable formats are being replaced by serialized storytelling, streaming exclusives, and TikTok-driven content. Dancing With the Stars was a product of early 2000s TV — polished, family-friendly, and broadcast-centric. The world moved on. The show didn’t adapt fast enough.
Some fans still hold out hope. They remember the magic of Meryl Davis and Dmitry Chaplin, or even the shock of Alfonso Ribeiro’s 2014 win. But hope doesn’t fund production. And without new blood — both in front of and behind the camera — even the most beloved franchises can become museum pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any chance Dancing With the Stars will return in 2026?
A return in 2026 is extremely unlikely. ABC has not signaled any interest in reviving the show, and its 2023–2024 schedule omitted it entirely. Without a new executive producer, updated judging panel, or clear financial justification, the show lacks the internal momentum to restart. The last production budget was allocated for Season 31 in 2022, and no new funding has been reported since.
Why did Tyra Banks leave the show?
Tyra Banks stepped down after Season 31 to focus on her production company and other media ventures, including her talk show and Netflix projects. While she was credited with helping modernize the show’s tone, her departure coincided with declining ratings and rising production costs. ABC has not named a replacement, and no host has been attached to any rumored Season 32.
Were any celebrities confirmed for a 2025 season?
No celebrities were ever announced, nor were any rumored with credible sourcing. Industry databases like the International Dance Organization and World DanceSport Federation show no registrations tied to a 2025 DWTS season. Even fan sites and entertainment trackers like Deadline and Variety reported zero casting rumors after 2023, which is highly unusual for a show with this level of visibility.
What happened to the judges after Season 31?
Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough remain active in dance and television, but neither has been linked to any new project with ABC. Bruno Tonioli passed away in 2023, and while tributes poured in, there was no official announcement of a new judge. Without a consistent panel, the show’s identity — built on decades of expert critique — would be impossible to maintain.
Why is "Prince Night" so commonly mentioned if it never happened?
"Prince Night" appears to be an AI-generated fabrication, possibly created by bots or deepfake content tools that mix real show elements (like theme nights) with fictional ones (like Prince’s music). The lack of any official reference to it across 31 seasons, combined with the absence of a 2025 season, confirms it as a myth. It’s a digital ghost haunting search results.
Can I still watch old seasons of Dancing With the Stars?
Yes. All 31 seasons are available on Disney+ and Hulu, with Season 31 being the most recent. Many fans have revisited classic moments since the show went silent — particularly the emotional performances from Season 28 and the viral win of Alfonso Ribeiro in Season 19. The legacy lives on, even if the live broadcasts don’t.