Dancing with the Stars will be breaking new ground in Season 35 (but hopefully nothing actually gets broken) when it hits the 2026 TV schedule next month. Reigning pro champion Witney Carson revealed Monday that she will be returning to defend the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, and what’s more, she’ll be doing it while carrying her third child, making her the first pro to enter a season while pregnant.Witney Carson made the big announcement on Good Morning America on August 17, also revealing that she’ll be paired with Guillermo Rodriguez — Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime late-night sidekick — as her Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity partner. As for why Carson chose to compete this season in the second trimester of her pregnancy she told THR:I love dance. I love to compete. I love being on the show, and I also love being a mom, and I want to grow my family. So if I can do both and the baby is healthy, then I am gonna try and do it all, because women are amazing.Witney Carson is out here proving that women really can have it all! Of course the dancer’s health and the health of her unborn child took priority in her decision, she said. Dancing with the Stars is infamous for having really intense rehearsals, and growing a human in your body is no small matter either, especially considering every season sees injuries to some degree —- some which have forced DWTS contestants to drop out of the competition.This was presumably part of the many conversations Witney Carson and her husband reportedly had with Dancing with the Stars casting director Deena Katz. The dancer said:We just decided, kind of me, my husband, and Deena were like, if you feel good enough, why not? Why not do it?While it may be rare to see a pregnant DWTS pro, this won’t be the first time someone danced with-child. In fact, Witney Carson announced she was expecting during the Season 31 semifinals in 2022. (She subsequently chose to not compete on Season 32.) Professional dancer Daniella Karagach also continued dancing after learning in the Season 31 premiere that she was pregnant.This will be the first time, however, a pro goes into the season knowing they’re expecting, and she will be further along in her pregnancy than any competitor before. She said:I am actually going into my second trimester next week, so this is the latest I’ve ever been pregnant dancing, competing; anything. The fact that I am going to be in a little dance costume, being pregnant, is going to be very interesting and something I’ve never done before. I’m really excited. This is what I feel is right for my family, and this is also like my livelihood. Like, the show is also something that I have to do to provide for my family.This definitely sounds like an exciting and empowering thing to watch, and hopefully Witney Carson continues to feel good and strong enough to defend her title. Last season’s victory with Robert Irwin was Carson’s second overall — she previously won with Alfonso Ribeiro in 2014 before he became DWTS’ co-host.Robert Irwin and Witney Carson will reunite on Dancing with the Stars’ spinoff competition series DWTS: The Next Pro on the Monday, August 17, episode on ABC and streaming the next day with a Disney+ subscription. Then tune in to see Carson make history when DWTS Season 35 premieres at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 15.