How Sasha Farber Returned for DWTS Season 35 Without Being a Pro

As Ribeiro said during the Sept. 15 premiere episode, the pair will give fans an inside look at "all of the backstage craziness you don't see on air."

In addition to his duties as a DWTS insider, the 42-year-old also returned as a member of the dance troupe in part one of the premiere, appearing in the opening number set to Robyn's "Dancing on My Own.” In fact, Farber was captured rehearsing with pro Daniella Karagach ahead of time by the show's official Instagram in a video captioned, "warming up!!"

And the role is a familiar one. Farber served as a troupe member on several seasons of the show, starting with his arrival in 2012 for season 14. But outside of displaying his award-winning dance moves alongside the larger cast, Farber has served as a pro guiding stars like Simone Biles, Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.

Indeed, Farber's showstopping numbers on DWTS over the years—like coming in third place alongside figure skater Tonya Harding for the Athletes season in 2018—have made him a fan favorite. As such, fans were disappointed to learn he wouldn't be coming back as a pro for the 35th iteration when the cast was initially announced. 

When addressing fans' questions about why he was not in contention for the Mirrorball Trophy, Farber wrote in a since-deleted comment, according to Us Weekly, "Not my choice."

Keep reading for a look at which celebrity-dancer teams were chosen for this year's dance-off.