Wynonna Judd and Lisa Vanderpump are among the celebrity contestants, while pro dancers Anna Trebunskaya, Chelsie Hightower and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are sitting this season out.
- February 27, 2013
AceShowbiz -
"Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke took over "Good Morning America" for a while on Tuesday, February 26 to reveal the cast of the reality show's season 16. First to be called out was country music star Wynonna Judd.
"They've asked me for six years, and now, I'm trying to get back to my original weight of 8 pounds,15 ounces," Judd said of why she finally said "yes" after stating that she would never do the show in the past. "It's the year of doing things that scare you - I'm scared to death!"
She joins previously confirmed celebrity contestant NFL star Jacoby Jones. Other celebrities competing for the mirror ball trophy are Olympians Aly Raisman and Dorothy Hamill, comedians Andy Dick and D.L. Hughley, "General Hospital" star Ingo Rademacher, "American Idol" alumna Kellie Pickler, reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, boxer Victor Ortiz and Disney star Zendaya Coleman.
At the same time, "DWTS" revealed the pairings and introduced new pro dancers, Lindsay Arnold, Gleb Savchenko and Sharna Burgess, to replace Anna Trebunskaya, Chelsie Hightower, Louis van Amstel and Maksim Chmerkovskiy who won't dance this season. The returning pros include Derek Hough, Kym Johnson, Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Karina Smirnoff and Tony Dovolani.
"We frequently rotate the professional dancers, so it is not unusual for them to rest a cycle," a representative for the show explains the missing pros. "As we consider who will be matched up each season, there are a lot of factors that dictate which couples make the best pairings."
The rep adds, "We appreciate each of our dancers' dedication to the show, so this is a very difficult decision. Anna, Chelsie, Louis and Maks continue to be a part of the 'Dancing with the Stars' family."
"DWTS" season 16 cast and pairings:
