Last year marked many changes for Dancing With the Stars, and Carrie Ann Inaba has a lot to say about it.
Season 31 of the historic franchise was a big one. It premiered on Disney+ as the first-ever live streaming competition series, while it also marked Len Goodman‘s final appearance as head judge. Amidst it all, Carrie Ann couldn’t help but take a moment to reflect. The longtime Dancing With the Stars personality shared a 2022 recap video on Instagram, including photos with fellow judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, plus eye-catching looks from season 31.
“I want to thank everyone who was a part of last year,” she captioned the clip. “All in all, it was a really good year. It was a year of growth, learning how to work with my body and health, removing what doesn’t work, and DWTS came back with a boom!”
Though “grueling” at times, Carrie Ann admitted that it was “her favorite season in a long time.” The reality series closed out the year with a notable cast, including Wayne Brady, Selma Blair and Mirrorball winner Charli D’Amelio. “Every single person who worked on @dancingwiththestars this year worked harder than they ever have before, and it was a thrill,” the former Talk co-host continued.
Carrie Ann even took a beat to address the switch from ABC. Despite divided opinions among Dancing With the Stars fans, she wrote, “The excitement of the ‘refresh’ was intoxicating. So grateful to be a part of the lasting legacy that brought dance back into the mainstream conversation.”
The TV personality added: “It’s humbling … 31 seasons! … As we know, life is always changing and even though change can be scary it’s the very essence of being alive. Change is inevitable and when you embrace it, it embraces you back.”
Dancing With the Stars fans did just that, writing words of encouragement under Carrie Ann’s post. “So glad to see you healthy and happy ❤️,” one person wrote. “Yes!! Look forward to seeing you in 2023!!” another added. “Thank you for interacting with us and the words of encouragement you gave me. It does mean a lot. Keep creating!” a different viewer said.
Last October, Carrie Ann got vulnerable with her followers when she opened up about her battle with multiple chronic illnesses, including lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s Syndrome.
“What I’ve learned through living it every day is that there are so many beautiful things that come from it,” she told Health Digest. “I wanted to share all of that. If I wasn’t going to share the fact that I had these conditions, then I would never be able to share the gifts that also came along with it.”
Here’s to an exciting year ahead, especially as we keep an eye out for more Dancing With the Stars season 32 announcements.
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