From household names to “oh yeah, that guy!” these are the stars that will be dancing across your TV come September
The cast list for Dancing with the Stars is officially out, and people have had quite a lot to say about it. Rumors and speculations circulated for weeks prior to the announcement and fans really nailed it with some of their guesses, including Hannah Brown and a member from the Netflix series Queer Eye. Much of the cast list left fans saying ‘uhm, who?’ and prompting a quick google search. From the White House to The Office, here’s a breakdown of each of the show’s newest stars.
Christie Brinkley
65-year-old Sports Illustrated supermodel is ready to put on her dancing shoes and prove to the world that age ain’t nothing but a number, honey. In an interview with People she addressed the initial shock from her children regarding the choice but is fully confident she can take the stage. If she could also drop her skincare routine and diet, that’d be awesome too.
Lamar Odom
No stranger to competition and hard work, Odom is best known for his time as a Los Angeles Laker and relationship with Khloe Kardashian. Accustomed to a life in the lights following a shaky divorce and public struggles with addiction, 39-year-old Odom may have a bit of a leg-up on some of the other stars, as he was in the Kardashian circle when Kim took the stage on season 7.
Hannah Brown
Trading in a trophy husband for a trophy, Alabama Hannah was one of the few leaked celebrities that would be joining the cast of this season of DWTS. Following her stint on The Bachelorette, Brown is excited to use this as a distraction and something to commit her time to. Her pageant background may recirculate as a topic of conversation, as her years of jazz dance and stage presence make her a fierce competitor.
Mary Wilson
Motown legend and founding member of The Supremes, Mary Wilson is sure to wow fans with her spunk and dedication to art. With a lifetime of performing all over the world, we are so ready to see this queen take the stage again.
Karamo Brown
The teddy bear and emotional development aspect of hit series Queer Eye was a dead giveaway for loyal fans following a teaser photo posted by DWTS. It is no secret that he’ll glide through the emotional roadblocks of the competition with ease, and in preparing for the show maybe he’ll receive some dance tips from fab-five member Jonathan Van Ness.
Lauren Alaina
Country music star Alaina is a used to the pressure in remaining on a competition TV program with the support of fans. As a finalist on American Idol, she’s likely to have a large fan-base, as a country music DJ Bobby Bones won the title last year.
Ray Lewis
Rounding out the group of athletes joining the cast this year, the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker will have to take his pregame dance up a notch to secure his safety on DWTS. Lewis is one of the more controversial picks due to involvement in a violent outbreak in 2000 resulting in two deaths.
Kate Flannery
Known as the dry-humored and inappropriate Meredith from The Office, it will take some getting used to seeing this star in the glitz and glam world and not in her typical Meredith outfit. Announcing on Twitter, she informed fans that, no they were not drunk, and yes this was really happening.
James Van Der Beek
Actor best known for his time on Dawson’s Creek, Beek has learned to dance before for other acting gigs and has previously turned down the opportunity to be apart of DWTS. It seems this time around he is ready for the challenge.
Ally Brooke
26-year-old singer Ally Brooke is best known for her membership to the pop girl group, Fifth Harmony, and as a breakout solo artist. As one of the many musical talents taking the stage this year, her time in the spotlight should be advantageous to her stage presence.
Kel Mitchell
Comedian, musician, singer, rapper, actor…. And now dancer. Kel Mitchell was a Nickelodeon star on Kenan & Kel (yes, that Kel), Good Burger and most recently Game Shakers. It’s hard to believe that earlier this week he was dropping his daughter off at school (feel old yet? Yeah, me too) and there is no doubt he’ll have full support from his family during this next adventure.
Sean Spicer
The most controversial, and surprising, of all the guests to take the stage. As Donald Trump’s former White House Press Secretary, it seems ABC may be using Spicer as a tool to drive up drama between stars on the show, interviewing Karamo specifically about his thoughts on Spicer. Remaining neutral on his opinions, many fans were upset with Karamo for not using the time to speak negatively about Spicer. In response, he took to Twitter, announcing his plans to “engage in a respectful conversation” with Spicer.
Season 28 of the show will premier September 16th on ABC.