Paralympian Ezra Frech leads Dancing With the Stars odds at season-high 68%
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The gist
Paralympian Ezra Frech's DWTS winner odds hit a season-high 68% ahead of episode 8.
He's the frontrunner to win Season 35, with the finals set for Nov 24.
Background
Ezra Frech is a 21-year-old two-time Paralympian and track and field athlete, a USC Marshall School of Business student, and a contestant on Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, partnered with pro Daniella Karagach. Born missing his left knee, left shin bone and most of his fingers on his left hand, he won two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. He has led the Kalshi DWTS winner market since early September, and his odds climbed after an emotional Dedication episode dance honoring his mother, actress Bahar Soomekh.
How it unfolded
- 2024Frech won two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.
- Oct 20, 2026On the Dedication episode, Frech and Karagach performed a contemporary routine to 'Bloodline' honoring his mother, scoring 37 out of 40; guest judge Kym Johnson gave the season's first perfect 10, and they finished second, one point behind Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov.
- Oct 22, 2026FloTrack reported Frech made history that week by earning the first 10 of Season 35.
- Oct 26, 2026A U.S. Sun report, cited by In Touch via Yahoo, said Frech had formed a 'flirty' bond with DWTS pro Hailey Bills and that the two were 'hanging out' outside the show.
- Oct 27, 2026Kalshi's DWTS winner market had Frech at a season-high 68%, up 15 points from the prior week, with Amber Glenn at 17% and Maura Higgins at 4%; hosts announced a double elimination for episode 8.
- Nov 24, 2026The DWTS finals are scheduled to air.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Kalshi's market made Frech the clear frontrunner at a season-high 68%, far ahead of Amber Glenn at 17% and Maura Higgins at 4%.
- Expert
- Guest judge Kym Johnson said the first dance of the night had the judges 'all crying up here' and called the emotional and physical connection 'so beautiful.'
- Support
- His father Clayton Frech called him 'an extraordinary athlete' and 'an extraordinary dancer, which we did not know.'
Still unverified
A U.S. Sun report, citing an unnamed source, said things have been 'flirty' between Frech and DWTS pro Hailey Bills and that they are 'hanging out'; neither Bills nor Frech has commented on the romance rumors.