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By: Sam Simons
Media Writer
On Sept. 4, fans of ballroom competition series “Dancing with the Stars” were awarded the cast list for the upcoming season. The 13 contestants range from athletes to reality TV stars and maybe a con artist.
Each of the stars joined the show for different reasons, whether that be to make a comeback or use the show as an opportunity to regain relevance. Either way, this season will show how well the stars can dance – or for others, how well they can dance away from house arrest.
Starting off strong, one of the newest cast members of “DWTS” is the infamous con artist Anna Delvey. The “star,” whose life was translated into the Netflix miniseries “Inventing Anna,” is set to take the dance floor with pro dancer Ezra Sosa. Delvey will also show off her ankle monitor, as she is required to wear it as part of her release. Delvey served almost four years in prison after scamming New York hotels, banks and individuals for $250,000 by posing as a wealthy heiress.
Rightfully so, fans were conflicted with the idea of Delvey joining the show, as there’s been a bit of a trend of ‘yassifying’ criminals and brushing off their bad behavior as iconic. Furthermore, Delvey seems to know how to play the game, because if Gypsy Rose Blanchard wasn’t pregnant, she would have been immediately cast and Delvey would have been sent back to Germany. Hopefully, Delvey’s experience on “DWTS” can change her for the better, if that’s possible and she doesn’t con her way into winning the mirrorball.
Now that the villain has been cast, we can look at some other players in the season. Phaedra Parks of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” known for being fired from the show after starting a date-rape rumor about a fellow cast member, will join the stage. On the other hand, more heartwarming reality TV hires include Joe Graziadei and Jenn Tran, the most recent “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette”. Though it might be a bit awkward, the two are now competing for the hearts of viewers instead of each other.
“DWTS” also has a knack for casting sitcom stars, and this season there are three. Reginald VelJohnson from the 90s sitcom “Family Matters” will be a dancing dad. Eric Roberts, brother of Julia Roberts and father of Emma Roberts, will also try to make a name for himself as the first Roberts on the show.
Lastly, “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Tori Spelling will make her way into the ballroom. Honestly, I thought that Tori Spelling already competed on “DWTS,” because that woman has been in everything, but it turns out she will complete the reality-star trio.
While most of the stars come in pretty green, the show also casts stars whose athleticism can help or hurt them in the competition. Two of the four athletes this season previously competed in the Olympics for Team USA this summer. Both rugby player Ilona Maher and gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik will see if their athletic talents can translate into the ballroom.
The show will also host former New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola and professional basketball player Dwight Howard. Overall, we will see if these athletes will trade their Olympic medals and trophies for the mirrorball.
Lastly, in the miscellaneous section are model Brooks Nader and actress Chandler Kinney. Both work in fields where we get to know them from still images or a character they are playing, so hopefully we will get to know them for their personalities, and they might be the surprises of this season.
As a whole, “DWTS” is the watered down version of shows like “Special Forces,” as audiences get to see a side of these celebrities that hasn’t been portrayed before. The show is more than just dancing, but how this experience can change them. If they can learn a new skill like dancing, then they can learn other new things too! One in particular being how to not steal people’s money, but that’s just speculation. To see if this is the case, fans caught the premiere on Sept. 17.
