ABC revealed the official list of contestants for Dancing with the Stars this morning. Some of the names were not entirely unexpected given some of the leaks that have spilled insider info onto the Internet over the past few weeks. The test for Dancing with the Stars every year is to come up with a lineup that stands strong against the previous seasons. In the aftermath of Mr. Entertainment, Joey Fatone, Mr. Focus Apolo Anton Ohno, and Mrs. Steadfast Competitor Laila Ali, the show has a particularly hard act to follow with its fifth season. Did they accomplish?
For starters, questions over Melanie Brown’s involvement were put to rest. Brown will be performing on the dance floor and will not be serving as a fourth judge. Her partner will be Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Next up, as predicted, will be Jennie Garth from Beverly Hills, 90210, but in a twist, she will be teaming with Dancing with the Stars pro champ Juliana Hough’s brother, Derek Hough.
Wayne Newton, the 65-year-old entertainer best known as Mr. Las Vegas, will be teaming with Cheryl Burke. The faux raven-haired singer should be right at home in ham land.
Mark Cuban, the vocal owner of the Dallas Mavericks and all-around rich guy will be teaming with Dancing with the Stars favorite Kym Johnson.
Josie Moran is one name that did not leak with this week’s Dancing with the Stars spoilers. She is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and will be joining up with Alec Mazo.
Sabrina Bryan if Disney’s manufactured pop group Cheetah Girls will be in competition with a brand new professional joining Dancing with the Stars, Mark Ballas.
Marie Osmond is another, if not surprisingly pleasing, surprising addition that flew in under the spoiler’s radar. Osmond will be taking to the dance floor with pro-Jonathan Roberts.
Jane Seymour, the erstwhile Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, has certainly aged gracefully. At 56 she looks as vibrant as ever. She will be joining pro-Tony Dovolani.
Helio Castroneves, a 32-year-old Brazilian native and twice winner of the Indy 500 is expected to bring a high level of competitiveness to the contest. One thing is for sure, his partner Juliana Hough will certainly be looking to repeat her success from last season.
Floyd Mayweather comes in as the second requisite athlete. So far, boxers have displayed amazing grace and comfort on the ballroom floor. With Karina Smirnoff as his guide could Mayweather go all the way?
Cameron Mathison, who stars on All My Children is another star who avoided the rumor mill. He will be competing with Edyta Silwinska, who has appeared on all five seasons of Dancing with the Stars.
Albert Reed is a 22-year-old model with some minor acting credits. Probably avoided the spoiler radar because even though you may know him when you see him, he isn’t exactly a household name. He will team with Anna Trebunskaya.
Aside from the cast of competitors, it was also announced that Dolly Parton and Avril Lavigne would be appearing as musical guests next season.
-Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
