âDancing With the Starsâ: This seasonâs celebrities will be ...
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An NFL star, a former TV super nerd and a Motown star â it could only mean the return of âDancing With the Stars.â The next team of celebrities (yes, that term is very elastic) for the 14th season of the ABC dance competition series was officially announced Tuesday LIVE!!, as host Tom Bergeron might proclaim, on âGood Morning America.â
Child stars, singers, atheletes and TV hosts are aplenty this season. But has the sheen worn off the dance floor? Last seasonâs finale, which saw sentimental favorite J.R. Martinez take home the mirror ball trophy, was the lowest-rated fall finale to date and was down significantly in the demographic of views ages 18 to 49 from the previous fall finale. Maybe the roster for this season will be enough to give the series a boost.
The 14th season will have a two-hour premiere Monday, March 19.
PHOTOS: âDancing With the Starsâ Season 14 stars
Hereâs the list of celebrities who will be getting sequined up this season (in case you donât already recognize them from the photos here) ...
JALEEL WHITE: Years of wearing skintight pants hiked up to his chin as TVâs nerdiest neighbor, Steve Urkel, in the long-running sitcom âFamily Mattersâ did not leave Whiteâs legs immobile. The 35-year-old actor, who, post-Urkel fame, has appeared on âHouseâ and âNCIS,â and will soon be hosting a game show on the SyFy network, will get his dance on this season. Letâs hope he channels the suave moves of Urkelâs alter ego Stefan rather than Urkerlâs two left feet, or he might soon find himself saying, âDid I do that?â
MELISSA GILBERT: Itâs the sort of gig Nellie Oleson might yank Laura Ingallâs perfectly braided pigtails over. The former child star best known for her role as Laura in âLittle House on the Prairie,â who went on to make a career out of appearing in TV movies and as a leader of the Screen Actors Guild, will be putting on those strappy dancing heels and even strappier dancing outfits.
JACK WAGNER: Itâs the only logical next step in life after a split from Heather Locklear, right? The aging hearthrob (heâs 52! Where did the time go? ) best known for his roles on âGeneral Hospitalâ (Oh, Frisco Jones!), âThe Bold and the Beautifulâ and âMelrose Place,â will see if he has what it takes to cut a rug and land some decent scores.
SHERRI SHEPHERD: Perhaps Shepherd was tired of the sedentary life that comes with co-hosting âThe Viewâ? Guess the comedian doesnât have enough on her plate to get those legs moving. Sheâs also host of âThe Newlywed Game.â Hereâs hoping her pal Niecy Nash, a contestant in Season 10, has given her some words of wisdom.
MARIA MENOUNOS: The âExtraâ host knows a thing or two about skimpy outfits â ahem, she donned a bikini in the middle of freezing Time Square after losing a Super Bowl bet â so some skimpy sequined numbers under the warmth of bright lights will be a piece of cake when she joins the cast of celebrities competing this season. Weâre sure âExtraâ buddy Mario Lopez, a former âDancingâ contestant, also provided words of caution on those pesky plunging necklines.
GAVIN DEGRAW: Maybe now the rockerâs biggest claim to TV fame wonât be for having penned that âOne Tree Hillâ theme song. Will the 35-year-old singer, who recently made headlines after he was attacked by a group of men in New York City, be adding choreography to his performances after his stint on âDWTSâ? Gosh, we hope not.
WILLIAM LEVY: We really hope rumors of a relationship with Jennifer Lopez shortly after she divorced Marc Anthony werenât what nabbed the Cuban American actor/model a spot on this seasonâs roster. But we wouldnât be surprised. Unless, maybe, just maybe, the casting director is an avid telenovela watcher?
GLADYS KNIGHT: The 67-year-old singer is taking the midnight train to the dance rehearsal studio. Tagged the Empress of Soul, sheâs almost bound to have some soulful moves â or does she?
ROSHON FEGAN: The 20-year-old appears on a Disney Channel series called âShake It Up,â about a group of friends who are (gasp!) professional dancers on a local show. Uh âŚ
KATHERINE JENKINS: Opera fans, rejoice! The Welsh mezzo-soprano is already familiar with the sleek floor on âDancing With the Stars,â having observed its sheen as a performer on the show last year.
DONALD DRIVER: As if moonlighting as a childrenâs author wasnât enough! The Green Bay Packers wide receiver is ditching the cleats for some ballroom shoes. Will Quickie be as swift with the upcoming choreography heâll be given?
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA: Wielding a racket is a natural precursor to a stint as a wannabe pro ballroom dancer. Hey, Navratilova played professional tennis until she was 49 (49!) â that sort of dedication and resilience has her primed for a lengthy stay, donât you think? And sheâs already used to short skirts.
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