DWTS Season 33 rumors: Fans react to Olympic medalist possibly joining cast

A fun part for fans ahead of each Dancing With the Stars season is trying to figure out which celebrities might be cast.

With Season 33 approaching, fans are speculating and excited about a popular Olympic medalist potentially joining the cast.

The show has featured Olympic stars in the past, including Laurie Hernandez, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Adam Rippon, and Apolo Anton Ohno.

Each celebrity competitor also won their respective season of DWTS, showing dedication to tirelessly practicing to achieve a goal. In the case of the Olympics, it’s medals, and with DWTS, it’s the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

While the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France, have featured gymnast Simone Biles, track star Noah Lyles, and NBA superstar LeBron James, it doesn’t seem any of them will compete on the dance television show.

Instead, fans spotted a clue potentially revealing that a recognizable rugby star will join the DWTS Season 33 cast.

American Olympics star could join DWTS Season 33

Some online sleuths noticed that American rugby union star Ilona Maher is a fan of Dancing With the Stars after recently following their Instagram account. That doesn’t necessarily mean Maher is on the show, but could be a sign.

A Reddit post about Maher’s potential participation in Season 33 of the dance competition show had fans seeming excited by the idea.

“Yes yes yes yes yes 🙌,” one commenter said, seeming to approve of Maher as a cast member.

“please please please be Artem’s partner. Just think they would gel well,” another commenter said.

“The way I would be voting for her so fast 😂🥰,” another Reddit comment said.

An individual said Maher “would be so fun” and is “Such a bad a** woman.”

For those who missed it, Maher was part of the Team USA rugby women’s team that defeated Australia to capture a Bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

She’s also a social media star with millions of followers on her Instagram and TikTok profiles. In late July, Planet Rugby reported that Maher officially became the most-followed rugby player, passing Siya Kolisi.

Maher is 27 and was born in Burlington, Vermont. The 5-foot-10 rugby star attended Quinnipiac University in New Haven, Connecticut.

She went viral with her TikTok videos before the Olympics and continued to make headlines during the Olympic Games. A recent video included NFL legend Tom Brady meeting her in Paris to get a selfie.

DWTS Seasons 33 cast rumors to continue

As of this writing, nothing is official regarding the Season 33 cast for Dancing With the Stars. An announcement on ABC’s Good Morning America will likely arrive in the coming weeks.

Previous speculation suggested that WNBA star Caitlin Clark was an athlete DWTS wanted in the cast, but she turned down some substantial offers.

According to The U.S. Sun, other rumored cast members included former GMA stars Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes, and retired NFL star Jason Kelce.

So far, the DWTS cast members fans should absolutely expect to see in Season 33 include host Alfonso Ribeiro, co-host Julianne Hough, and judges Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Dancing With the Stars Season 33 premieres Tuesday, September 17, at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.