Ezra Sosa is speaking openly about something Dancing With the Stars fans have debated for years: which professional dancers get paired with celebrities who appear capable of making a serious run for the Mirrorball Trophy.
Ahead of Season 35, the 25-year-old pro revealed that he would like to see some of his fellow dancers finally receive celebrity partners who give them a realistic opportunity to reach the finale. His comments have sparked a wider conversation about whether the same pros are too often paired with the strongest potential contestants.
Ezra specifically named Pasha Pashkov and Britt Stewart as two professionals he would love to see competing in the finale this season.
For Ezra, it isn’t simply about getting those dancers closer to winning a trophy. Reaching the final gives a professional an opportunity to show viewers everything they can do as a choreographer, teacher and creative partner.
“There’s so many people that haven’t gotten the chance to be in the finale,” Ezra explained while discussing what he hopes to see when Season 35 begins. He said he wants those professionals to receive a frontrunner so audiences can see how much they can truly shine.
His comments follow a now-deleted TikTok in which he addressed the perception that certain DWTS professionals repeatedly receive celebrities who enter the competition with significant potential.
Ezra clarified that he doesn’t necessarily believe there are simply “good” and “bad” partners. Every celebrity brings a different story to the ballroom, and he believes a professional’s responsibility is ultimately to give that person the best possible experience.
However, he also acknowledged the reality that some celebrity contestants naturally arrive with advantages that can make a deep run more likely.
That can leave talented professionals going season after season without getting the opportunity to demonstrate what they might create if they reached the final weeks.
One reason Ezra feels so strongly about the finale is the freestyle round. Unlike many earlier dances, the freestyle gives professionals enormous creative freedom, making it one of the best opportunities for a choreographer to demonstrate their individual vision.
Ezra wants more of his colleagues to experience that moment.
Interestingly, he isn’t asking producers to give him the strongest celebrity this year.
Ezra pointed to his Season 34 partnership with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, which gave him exactly the kind of opportunity he is now hoping other professionals receive. Jordan and Ezra made it all the way to the finale and ultimately finished third, giving Ezra his first experience competing for the Mirrorball at the very end.
His first season as a full-time professional had looked completely different.
In Season 33, Ezra was paired with Anna Delvey, and the pair were eliminated during the second week. Just one season later, his partnership with Jordan allowed viewers to see considerably more of what he could create as a professional.
That dramatic difference appears to be part of what has shaped his perspective.
Now he wants professionals such as Britt and Pasha to receive similar opportunities.
The discussion becomes even more interesting because DWTS producers have now explained that celebrity-pro pairings aren’t as simple as deciding beforehand which professional deserves the strongest dancer.
Executive producer Deena Katz explained that chemistry plays an important role. Producers can initially have ideas about potential combinations, but the first rehearsal helps reveal whether a celebrity and professional actually work well together.
Executive producer Conrad Green has also said the intention is to give couples a genuine opportunity to succeed rather than deliberately deciding in advance who should or shouldn’t reach the finale.
Katz acknowledged something else that closely matches Ezra’s argument: viewers enjoy seeing variety.
Fans don’t necessarily want exactly the same professionals dominating every finale. Watching someone who hasn’t previously had that opportunity suddenly emerge as a serious contender can create an entirely new storyline for the season.
And Season 35 could provide plenty of opportunities for surprises.
The new season will begin with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026, while the complete celebrity cast and pairings are expected to be revealed in early September.
Until those partnerships are announced, nobody knows which professionals will receive the celebrities who eventually emerge as frontrunners.
That’s also an important distinction in Ezra’s argument. A celebrity who looks strong on paper doesn’t automatically become a finalist. Some contestants unexpectedly improve throughout the season, while others who appear destined for the finale can leave much earlier than expected.
But Ezra’s message is ultimately about opportunity.
After experiencing both an extremely early elimination and a trip to the finale during his first two seasons as a professional, he knows how dramatically a partnership can change what viewers get to see from the dancer behind the celebrity.
This time, he’s hoping Season 35 gives some of his colleagues that same chance.
And if Britt Stewart or Pasha Pashkov ends up standing in the ballroom during the finale, there will be at least one fellow pro who will be especially happy to see it: Ezra Sosa.
