Which ‘DWTS’ Vets Will Return to Guest Judge Next? Peta, Maks & More, Ranked by Likelihood
Dancing With the Stars has been bringing some familiar faces back to the ballroom for Season 34. So far, former pros Kym Johnson-Herjavec and Cheryl Burke have both returned as guest judges, while former host Tom Bergeron will return to judge during the 20th Anniversary Celebration Night on November 11.
The season is winding down, but there will still be two more episodes after this next one, where other show alumni could return in a guest judge position. Plus, if the show is picked up for future seasons, there will be plenty of opportunities for previous cast members to come back for a one-off stint.
There have been a few guest judges on the show over the years, including several stars who were once contestants. However, the only pro dancers from the show to guest at the judges’ table prior to Season 34 were Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Mark Ballas, who served as guest judges on seasons when they weren’t dancing in the competition (Julianne Hough, who was once a full-time judge, has also been a guest on the panel).
Now that bringing back DWTS alumni seems to be an ongoing trend, we can’t help but wonder who might also return in the future. Scroll down for a list of other former pros and hosts who could make a comeback as guest judges, ranked from most to least likely to return. Plus, hop in the comments section to let us know who you’d like to see as a guest judge!
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC
Peta Murgatroyd
Peta Murgatroyd‘s brother-in-law, Val Chmerkovskiy, and his wife, Jenna Johnson, are still pros on Dancing With the Stars, so she’s very much part of the family to this day.
Even though she left the show in 2023 after having two kids back-to-back, Murgatroyd remains up-to-date with DWTS for her podcast, so she’d be a great and likely willing addition.
Sharna Burgess
Sharna Burgess had a bit of a rocky time during her last few years of Dancing With the Stars. First, she wasn’t asked back for Season 28. When she returned for Season 29, she was paired with a partner (Jesse Metcalfe) whom she had difficulty working with. In Season 30, she was partnered with fiancé Brian Austin Green, but the show was more focused on spotlighting their relationship than his growth as a dancer.
After she took Season 31 off to have her son, Burgess did not receive a call to return for Season 32 (and has not been part of the show since).
While that was a tough pill to swallow, Burgess still keeps up with DWTS, has attended the live show, and is a judge on the Australian vers, so it doesn’t seem so far-fetched that she’d return for a guest stint on the U.S. version.
Sasha Farber
Fans raised hell when Sasha Farber wasn’t asked back as a pro for Season 34, so he’d great in a guest judging role, especially since he’s still been heavily involved in the show since his exit.
Maks Chmerkovskiy
While Maks Chmerkovskiy has said that he doesn’t want to return to DWTS as a pro in the future, he’s made it clear that hosting or judging is something he’d be interested in. Plus, he’s already been a guest judge twice, so this wouldn’t be new territory for him.
Chmerkovskiy has publicly made some controversial comments about the show, but DWTS has never shied away from controversy in the past. Not to mention, Burke and Bergeron were invited back after also expressing their grievances, so Chmerkovskiy should not be ruled out.
Lindsay Arnold
Lindsay Arnold left DWTS after Season 30 to raise her family, but she’s still shown up to the ballroom to watch the live show on a number of occasions. Not only is Arnold still close with so many of the cast members and invested in the show, but her younger sister Rylee Arnold is also now one of the pro dancers!
As long as she’s able to remain impartial, I’d say there’s a good chance at nabbing her for a guest judge slot.
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff left the show after Season 22 to pursue other opportunities, but there was no bad blood, and as an 18-time participant and one-time Mirrorball trophy winner, she’d be a great vet to bring back after so many years.
Erin Andrews
Erin Andrews has mostly been tight-lipped about her firing from the show, but with Bergeron returning to judge, she’s on our radar as another viable option. However, she mostly seems to have distanced herself from DWTS to focus on her sports reporting career
Samantha Harris
It’s been more than 15 years since cohost Samantha Harris left DWTS, and she’s definitely moved on, so while it’s not likely that we’ll see her back for a guest judging stint, it would be a fun throwback!
Alec Mazo
How fitting would it be if Season 1 champion Alec Mazo returned to the ballroom as a guest judge?!
Unfortunately, it’s been 16 years since he was on the show, so it doesn’t seem too likely to happen, but this would certainly be a good call!
Allison Holker returned to So You Think You Can Dance? to serve as a judge in 2024, but will a return to DWTS be next?
It doesn’t seem too likely, as Holker made headlines for all the wrong reasons when she released her memoir in 2025 and received backlash from fans and her late husband (Stephen “tWitch” Boss) family for some of the things she wrote. Chances are, she wouldn’t be the first call on the DWTS showrunners’ lists.
Artem Chigvintsev
Artem Chigvintsev was let go from DWTS after his ex-wife Nikki Garcia’s domestic violence claims against him. While those have since been dropped and their divorce settled, the show has likely distanced itself from the former pro and he does not seem to have any involvement with it at this point, so his return is unlikely.
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