‘Dancing With The Stars’ Dancer Witney Carson Reveals Why She Won’t Return for Season 32: “I Hope It’s Not Goodbye”

By Radhamely De Leon
Published Aug. 28, 2023, 10:28 a.m. ET

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Professional dancer Witney Carson announced she will not be returning for Dancing With The Stars Season 32.

In a video shared on TikTok over the weekend, the dancer said, “This was not a decision that we took lightly. We definitely thought and prayed about it for a while, but we will not be doing Dancing With the Stars this season.”

Carson explained she “felt very at peace” with her decision to stay home in Florida where she lives with her husband, Carson McAllister, and their two young children, Leo and Jet.

“You guys know that family is the most important thing to me, and we just really felt that moving our entire family across the country right now was not for us,” she said. “Leo’s at an age where he needs consistency and dependability, and he hasn’t had that ever since he’s been born. We’re just really trying to give him that right now.”

The dancer maintained that this was not a permanent move. But she will be leaving the show on a high note after placing third last season with Wayne Brady.

Witney Carson on 'Dancing With The Stars'
Photo: Kevin Winter

“This was definitely a hard decision,” she said. “But I will be rooting for everybody on the show, I cannot wait to watch. I’m so excited. I definitely think this is just a break. I hope it’s not goodbye. But for now, we will be their number one cheerleader watching. Love you guys.”

She’s not the only one who won’t be returning for DWTS Season 32.

Dancer Lindsay Arnold recently announced she will not be returning for the new season, and longtime cast member Mark Ballas retired earlier this year after winning Season 31 with Charli D’Amelio. 

But Season 32 is still shaping up to be a big one. Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix and The Bachelorette‘s Charity Lawson are confirmed to be competing this year.

The rest of this season’s contestants will be announced on Sept. 13 on Good Morning America.

A release date for Dancing With The Stars Season 32 has not been confirmed yet, but it will continue to air at 8 pm ET on ABC and stream on Disney+. New episodes will also be streaming on Hulu the next day.