‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 16 cast lineup announced, Maksim Chmerkovskiy absent
The ‘Dancing with the Stars’ cast for Season 16 was revealed today on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ — and this year, it’s all about the athletes, country singers and the exit of Maksim.
- Former WBC welterweight champ Victor Ortiz will dance with So You Think You Can Dance vet and DWTS newcomer Lindsay Arnold
- 2012 Olympic gold-medalist gymnast Aly Raisman forms a power team with Mark Ballas, who coached Shawn Johnson to victory in Season 8
- Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones competes with Karina Smirnoff
- A pair of country-music songbirds also compete:
- Wynonna Judd will team with last season’s champ Tony Dovolani
- Former American Idol standout Kellie Pickler could make for another formidable pairing with choreography whiz Derek Hough
Then there’s the funnymen.- D.L. Hughley will dance with Cheryl Burke
- Andy Dick will dance with former featured dancer Sharna Burgess, who is a champion in our book just for giving this a shot
The obligatory soap-star slot is filled by former champ Kelly Monaco’s General Hospital costar Ingo Rademacher who could make a legit run for the mirrorball trophy with partner Kym Johnson. (more below)Rounding out the field are:
- This season’s Disney Channel entry, Shake It Up star Zendaya Coleman who will be guided by Val Chmerkovskiy — the sole Chmerkovskiy brother to compete in this outing.
- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules star Lisa Vanderpump, matched up with newcomer Gleb Savchenko, a veteran of the Australian incarnation of Dancing with the Stars who gives the Chmerkovskiy brothers a run for their money in the good looks and “you pronounce that how?” departments.
Besides Maksim Chmerkovskiy, other fan-favorite pros Anna Trebunskaya, Chelsie Hightower are also absent from Season 16, but all three judges — Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli — return, along with cohosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet.
Will the new lineup please DWTS fans?