PRODUCERS of Dancing With the Stars and The Traitors will be ‘battling it out’ to snatch up this year’s biggest fan-favorite Olympians for their next TV seasons, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
The athletes have barely stepped off the podium but Hollywood is already circling to snag the biggest names that just finished competing at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy.
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Two of TV’s buzziest competition franchises, Dancing With the Stars and The Traitors, are in a full-blown casting war over five of Team USA’s biggest breakout stars from the 2026 Winter Olympics, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
“Traitors and DWTS casting departments will both be battling it out to get their hands on the most coveted stars from the Olympic games.
“The shows don’t overlap with their filming schedules so that isn’t the problem. The problem is more so that these athletes can’t afford to step away from their training for both shows.
“Especially DWTS, that films for a big chunk of the year,” the insider explained of Traitors, which typically films for a couple of weeks at the end of Spring and DWTS, which tapes for months from Summer until late Fall.
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The coveted names on producers’ list? Figure skating phenom Ilia Malinin, comeback queen Alysa Liu, fan-favorite Amber Glenn, alpine ace Breezy Johnson, and NHL hero Jack Hughes.
And while fans might dream of seeing multiple Olympians double-dip in both shows, the reality is far more complicated.
“For Jack, there’s no way he can do DWTS. It overlaps too much with his NHL schedule,” the insider said of the New Jersey Devils hockey player – whose season runs from October to April.
With the NHL season stretching deep into the spring, a grueling DWTS rehearsal and live show schedule simply isn’t realistic and a shorter, more contained shoot like The Traitors, however, is far more doable.
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“He can squeeze in Traitors though, Peacock would love to get him for this next season.”
The Quad God Factor
For DWTS, the battle is especially intense among the skaters, who are all also real-life friends.
“On the upcoming DWTS season, all of the top skaters have expressed interest in joining the show.
“They all want to – but the show will only take two Olympians max for one season,” the source said. “So it’s a battle to figure out which two that will be.”
Heading into the Olympics, Ilia, 21, and Amber, 26, were seen internally as the top two contenders.
“But sadly, Alysa has bumped Amber for that top contender spot,” the source spilled.
“The show is more interested in getting Alysa on there. And Ilia. To get Ilia on their cast is the main goal. But it will be up to him to see what he more wants to do.”
Achievements of the Superstar Athletes
All five athletes in contention for a slice of reality TV fame became headline-makers at the 2026 Winter Olympics, cementing themselves as breakout stars:
Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating)
- Before 2026: Two-time World Champion, multiple-time U.S. National Champion, and first skater to land a ratified quadruple Axel in competition, earning him the nickname “Quad God.”
- At the 2026 Olympics: Helped Team USA secure gold in the team figure skating event.
Alysa Liu (Figure Skating)
- Before 2026: Two-time U.S. National Champion and World Champion who made a stunning comeback on her own terms after briefly stepping away from the sport.
- At the 2026 Olympics: Captured gold in women’s singles and contributed to Team USA’s team event medal, completing one of the Games’ biggest redemption arcs.
Amber Glenn (Figure Skating)
- Before 2026: U.S. National Champion known for her powerful skating style and triple Axel attempt on the international stage.
- At the 2026 Olympics: Earned her first Olympic medal with a podium finish in the team event.
Breezy Johnson (Alpine Skiing)
- Before 2026: World downhill champion who battled back from multiple injuries to return to elite competition.
- At the 2026 Olympics: Won gold in the women’s downhill, delivering one of Team USA’s most thrilling speed-event victories of the Games.
Jack Hughes (Ice Hockey)
- Before 2026: NHL All-Star center and one of the league’s most dynamic American scorers.
- At the 2026 Olympics: Played a pivotal offensive role in leading Team USA men’s hockey to a gold medal finish, cementing his status as a face of American hockey.
Ilia, nicknamed “Quad God” for his historic technical arsenal, is viewed as DWTS’ ultimate get following the superstar amount of attention he received during the Olympic Games.
“[The producers] desperately want Quad God, he’s their number one.
“Schedule wise he can film both as the shows don’t overlap. But he can’t take that much time off of both from skating so will have to choose one.”
Meanwhile, gold medalist Alysa, 20, has a logistical edge.
“Alysa already is in LA going to school at UCLA so logistically it’s easy for her to do DWTS.
“The same way Jordan did DWTS while also going to school and competing,” they said of U.S. Olympic gymnast sensation Jordan Chiles, who was also a UCLA bruin while competing at the collegiate level and filming DWTS all at the same time.
The fourth season of The Traitors will conclude on Thursday with a heart-pounding finale followed immediately by a tense reunion.
Season 5 of The Traitors is expected to film at the end of April or early May, with preliminary casting already underway behind the scenes.
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Meanwhile, DWTS begins rehearsals in August before their September premiere.
The show, which requires daily rehearsals and countless practice sessions, doesn’t conclude filming until late November.
