Jackson Olson, a player for the Savannah Bananas and a viral internet sensation, is headed for the ballroom. He was announced Tuesday, May 12, as the latest celebrity cast member for Dancing With the Stars season 35 during Disney’s Upfront presentation.
The official DWTS Instagram page celebrated the pickup with the line, “This banana is hitting the ballroom! 🍌🕺” and told fans to “Catch @jacksonolson_ on the new season of #DWTS, this fall on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu.” That timing matters because the show has already started rolling out its cast, with Love Island’s Maura Higgins and Summer House star Ciara Miller previously revealed.
Olson’s spot on the show also lands amid growing attention on his relationship with Maggie Sajak. On Tuesday, May 12, she posted to her Instagram Story, “SO PROUD @jacksonolson_ !!!” and later shared a photo of the two together with the message, “Beyond proud of you @jacksonolson_...the dance floor better get ready.” Maggie Sajak is the daughter of former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, and Olson’s casting comes weeks after she hard-launched their romance on Instagram with a photo of the couple at Disneyland.
The pairing has been public for only a short time, but Olson said on May 1 that he and Sajak live on opposite sides of the country and still make it work for “an awesome relationship.” That makes the dancing news more than a celebrity booking; it is the latest turn in a very visible run for a player who has turned the Bananas into a traveling internet phenomenon.
Olson said on Good Morning America on Wednesday, May 13, that he “manifested” the casting after joking about it online. He said he posted TikToks last year teasing a possible appearance and even pranked his coach by telling him he was going to be on the show. “When I was a kid, I never thought any of this was possible, even like, playing for the Bananas or anything like that,” he said. Olson added that he was “a shy kid that never danced, never put myself out there, never entertained and found a passion for it.”
The added twist is that the ballroom debut arrives right as public interest in his personal life and his summer schedule is rising at the same time. The Savannah Bananas have built a devoted following around their brand of baseball entertainment, and Olson’s new TV job will pull him into a different kind of spotlight when the season begins this fall on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu. For now, the next milestone is simple: Olson moves from social media jokes to a national stage, and the dance floor gets its first look at what the Bananas player can do without a bat in his hands.
