Heavy/CW Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas made a surprising return to TV. Three months after his poignant cameo in the ballroom for the “Dancing with the Stars” tribute to Len Goodman, and just one month after performing on the DWTS season 32 finale, he logged another TV gig.
But the mirrorball champ’s TV return had nothing to do with dance—at least not a human one.
In January 2024, Ballas cracked fans up when he was a guest on the CW improv show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” – and it was unlike anything fans have ever seen him do before.
“Whose Line is it Anyway?” is hosted by Aisha Tyler and features cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady, and Colin Mochrie.
Here’s what you need to know:
Mark Ballas Pretended to Be a Dolphin With Wayne Brady
After his winning DWTS season with Charli D’Amelio, Ballas announced his retirement as a pro dancer on the ABC celebrity ballroom show. He has returned for those aforementioned special performances, but in January 2024 he traded his dance moves for a duet on the hit show “Whose Line is It Anyway?”
In his guest role, Ballas performed a Broadway-style musical number with Brady in which they roasted one another’s moms. Ballas later returned for the skit “Living Scenery.”
In a clip posted to his Instagram stories, he shared a snippet that showed him teamed up with fellow DWTS alum Wayne Brady to portray dolphins. After watching the two jump around while making “dolphin noises,” host Ryan Stiles joked that the dolphins were trying to “tell” them something. He then cracked that they were getting frisky and asked, “What was the porpoise of that?” Ballas also made like a helicopter in the sketch.
Fans reacted to Ballas’ guest spot on social media. “He was so good! Probably one of their best guests in recent years!” one fan wrote on Reddit.
Others were surprised to see Ballas on the show that stars Brady, whom he competed against on DWTS season 31. “Love this show and love him!” a fan wrote of Ballas. “What a surprising match to see him on it though lol.”
“Never thought I’d see the day,” another agreed.
“When I think about funny pros on DWTS, I’ll be honest & admit Mark’s not usually one of them! But he is so great at storytelling & vibing off partners. Maybe that makes improv a really good fit for him?” another chimed in.
Mark Ballas is a New Father
Ballas hardly seemed retired given the recent appearances he’s made on TV shows. But he is likely spending more time at home these days regardless. In December 2023, Ballas and his wife BJ Jean, announced the birth of their son, Banksi Wylde Ballas, one month after his arrival.
“Welcome to Earth my son,” the pro dancer captioned a photo of his son born November 5.
Earlier in 2023, Ballas and his wife went off the grid for a bit. In June, the couple captioned an Instagram Reel to reveal what they’d been up to. “Lately we’ve been making new music, making birthday wishes, went to Disneyland, made more music stuff, turned off our phones and went to the beach. Also we’ve been making a tiny human,” the Ballases added as they debuted BC Jean’s baby bump.
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