How Sasha Farber Will Be a Part of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34 Despite Not Being a Pro

Sasha Farber is returning to Dancing With the Stars after all — just not as a pro. 

The ABC competition show announced via Instagram on Monday, September 15, that Farber, 41, will stream the action backstage during the season 34 premiere on Tuesday, September 16. 

“Ready for more behind the scenes? 🤩,” the show’s official IG account teased alongside a photo of a smiling, sequined Farber. “We’re going LIVE on TikTok with @sashafarber1 TOMORROW to celebrate the #DWTS Premiere!”

Farber and his fans rejoiced in the comments section.

“Can’t wait to showwwwww you guys around the ballroom and take you backstage !!!!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍,” the dancer gushed.

“OH HELL YES! We want Sasha to be a part!!!” one fan remarked, while other wrote, “Happy to have him backstage, but would have been much happier seeing him on the Dance floor 🥹.”

ABC revealed in early September which pros would be returning to the ballroom for the upcoming season. Farber, who joined DWTS in 2013, was not among them.

“It is a beautiful day today. Guys, the Dancing With the Stars cast announcement was today. Wow, so many good names,” Farber said in a TikTok video last month. “Who are you going to vote for? I mean, I know who I’m going to vote for. I know who you’re not going to vote for — that’s me. But that’s OK.”

He gave the fans a shout-out at the time, saying, “Thank you all so much for all your incredible messages. I read them all, I see it all, I adore you. I definitely don’t deserve you because you guys are amazing. I love you.”

Following the news of Farber sitting out this season, Us Weekly caught up with DTWS fixture Val Chmerkovskiy at the VMAs and he exclusively told Us the decision wasn’t “personal” but “the nature of the business.”  

Chmerkovskiy and his celebrity partner Alix Earle are part of a star-studded lineup that includes Hilaria Baldwin (with dancer Gleb Savchenko), Corey Feldman (with Jenna Johnson), Danielle Fishel (with Pasha Pashkov) and more. Farber’s ex-wife, Emma Slater, will also appear as a pro, teaming up with Andy Richter. (Farber and Slater finalized their divorce in May 2024. She has since moved on with fellow DWTS pro Alan Bersten, who will dance with Elaine Hendrix this season.)

Often, the show’s rotating roster of dance pros don’t know if they’ll return for a new season until the very last minute — and the pro/celeb pairings depend upon a variety of factors such as height and personality. 

Dancing With the Stars season 34 premieres on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream next day on Hulu.