'Dancing with the Stars' executive producer: Paula Deen is doing the show for the right reasons, Alek Skarlatos' story gives me goosebumps

Dancing with the Stars executive producer Rob Wade is taking pride in many of Season 21's cast members.


During a recent interview with TV Guide, Wade explained contestant Paula Deen, a 68-year-old celebrity chef, is not competing on Dancing with the Stars as a way to rehab her image from the controversy in which she used the "n-word" and got labeled a racist.

"We don't really go into these seasons intending to tell a story. We want to see the story that develops. [Paula] does have a huge following and a lot of fans. I think she's doing this show because she wants to learn to dance," Wade explained.

"She's in her 60s. I think it's a really healthy thing... She's doing it for the right reasons. She wants to challenge herself and she wants to learn to dance, and she's a little bit scared of it. That's why I think she's doing it."

Deen will be paired with pro Louis van Amstel for the upcoming DWTS edition, which premieres Monday night at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.


"Louis, I think, is going to be in trouble. There seems to be a lot of cookie consumption so far," he said. "[But] with the amount of calories they're going to burn off learning to dance, I'm sure she'll be fine... I think she's going to surprise people when she comes out and dances."

Wade is apparently thrilled to have Alek Skarlatos onboard. The National Guardsman helped take down a gunman last month on a train that was traveling from Amsterdam to Brussels.

"Literally two weeks ago, he was on a train. Now he's on Dancing with the Stars. It's just insane," Wade told TV Guide.

"I get goosebumps just saying it... He changed the lives of everybody on that train, but also now changed his life. He's a hero. There's no two ways about it. People bandy that word around a lot, but he's an American hero."

A few celebrities will also be making history through some Dancing with the Stars firsts. Hayes Grier will be the youngest participant ever, Carlos PenaVega and Alexa PenaVega will be married opponents, and horse jockey Victor Espinoza will be the shortest male contestant ever to compete on the reality dancing competition at 5'2".


"How is [Karina Smirnoff] going to manage to dance with him?" Wade pondered of the unusual pairing. "We've had a guy with no arm and no leg, but we've never had a guy who's 5-foot-2."






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski