The cast of Dancing with the Stars season 22 won’t be officially revealed until Tuesday, March 8, but the pros are already meeting their new partners and there are already a few leaks about who will compete on the show. Not only do we know a few more stars and their pro partners, but there’s plenty of news on several other important pros as well.
According to PureDWTS, America’s Next Top Model winner Nyle DiMarco will be one of the stars on season 22, working with pro Peta Murgatroyd. Nyle won cycle 22 of ANTM, the last one to air on the CW with host Tyra Banks. More interestingly, he is deaf, which will make dancing and rehearsing a bit of a challenge.
DiMarco is only the second deaf contestant in the show’s history, following Oscar winner Marlee Matlin way back in season 6. Also like Matlin, Nyle has guest starred on Freeform’s Switched at Birth. And to keep it all in the family, another Switched at Birth guest star, Gilles Marini, was also Peta’s partner during the All-Stars season.
Season 22 marks a return for Nyle’s partner, Peta. She was originally partnered with Andy Grammer last season, but an early injury forced her to exit the show before the cast was announced, leaving Andy with Allison Holker. Ironically, Peta’s return comes just as Allison is about to give birth any day now.
As previously reported, UFC fighter Paige VanZant will be competing (with partner Mark Ballas), as will Facts of Life star Kim Fields.
Pro News: Derek Out, Edyta In?
In addition to the new celebrity cast, there are some interesting developments with the pros. DWTS Gossip reports that Derek Hough, like his sister Julianne, will NOT be a part of season 22. Of course we’ve heard this same story before and then he always comes back, so we should take it with a grain of salt.
UPDATE: Derek Hough Heading to Broadway>>
Another pro rumor is that Edyta Sliwinska is making her triumphant return to the ballroom. The pro, who competed in the first 10 seasons of DWTS, has been absent for the past six years. Besides Anna Trebunskaya and Louis van Amstel, Edyta is the only pro who has appeared on more than seven seasons without ever winning the Mirror Ball. However, she did finish second with Jason Taylor and third with Joey Lawrence, though she was also the first one eliminated twice.
UPDATE: Though it has nothing to do with season 22, People has reported that pro dancer Kym Johnson is now engaged to her season 20 partner, Shark Tank‘s Robert Herjavec. The two started off their romance last year on the ballroom floor, with everyone noticing how close the two became during the show’s run. Now, less than a year later, that dancing chemistry has translated to real-life love as the two are set to get married.
The full cast of Dancing with the Stars season 22 will be revealed Tuesday, March 8 on Good Morning America. The competition begins Monday, March 21 at 8pm on ABC.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
