Dancing with the Stars has announced the cast of celebrities who will be competing on Season 29 this fall.
ADVERTISEMENT
ABC unveiled the identities of the 15 celebrities who will dance on the show next season, which premieres Monday, September 14 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC, during Wednesday's broadcast of Good Morning America.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
The women who will be putting on their dancing shoes are CHEER head coach Monica Aldama, Tiger King star Carole Baskin, Season 11 The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe, TV and film actress Anne Heche, Disney Channel actress Skai Jackson, actress Justina Machado, The Real co-host and fashion correspondent Jeannie Mai, and Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause.
"Since I haven't been accepting roses for a while, I would kindly like to ask that I only accept 10s now," Kaitlyn said on GMA.
ADVERTISEMENT
"If I can sell multi-million dollar houses, I can sell some dance moves! Get ready, America," Chrishell gushed.
The men who will be taking the stage are former NFL football player Vernon Davis, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, TV and film actor Jesse Metcalfe, rapper Nelly, former NBA basketball star Charles Oakley, Catfish creator and host Nev Schulman, and figure skater and Olympic medalist Johnny Weir.
"I may have a Super Bowl ring, but I need that mirrorball trophy," Vernon said on GMA.
"I always wanted to do the show. I was just afraid that people wouldn't take me seriously as an actor," admitted Jesse.
"And now I feel like we live in a world where you can do whatever you want, so here I am. I am basically a non-dancer; I have no formal training in dance whatsoever. I am excited to work hard and leave the show with a new skillset."
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Kaitlyn confirmed her Dancing with the Stars participation in June, and AJ confirmed he had signed on for the show's 29th season last month. Anne, Jesse, Vernon, and Chrishell's names also leaked out in the press last week.
Like last season, Dancing with the Stars viewers will have to tune in to the Season 29 premiere to find out the celebrity and professional pairings.
On Wednesday's episode of GMA, Carole and Nelly checked in with the hosts through videochat.
Carole revealed she's "competitive" but "competitive with myself" and will do "the very best" she possibly can on the dance floor next season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Carole also opened up about newfound fame after Tiger King hit the air on Netflix.
"Tiger King really glamorized animal abusers and villainized me for trying to stop animal abuse, and so I felt really betrayed by that," Carole explained.
"But what amazed me was how many people believed that false portrayal of me without doing anything to find out who I really am. So it's been a nightmare since Tiger King aired... I really hope [DWTS fans will see me in a new light.]"
And Nelly -- who insisted he has "two left feet" -- said he's "looking forward to the challenge" of Dancing with the Stars.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
"I feel like I can do anything. This is my biggest test yet, but I'm up for it," Nelly insisted, adding that his first reaction to appearing on the show was "hell yes" and "I'm game."
The returning professional partners for Dancing with the Stars next season are Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, and Emma Slater.
Two former Dancing with the Stars Troupe members, Britt Stewart and Daniella Karagach, will also be joining the lineup of professional partners for this fall's season as newbies.
Three married couples will be competing against each other on Season 29: Val and Jenna, Emma and Sasha, and Daniella and Pasha.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the professional partners will not be able to help or rehearse with each other through the season, and even pros married to fellow pros will be forced to live apart.
The new rule is an attempt to prevent two professional dancers -- and potentially their celebrity partners -- from getting sick if one person contracts COVID-19 during the season.
As previously announced, supermodel and former America's Got Talent and America's Next Top Model host Tyra Banks has joined Dancing with the Stars as its new host and executive producer because the show is embarking on "a new creative direction."
ABC even teased in a press release announcing the Season 29 celebrity cast there will be "cha-cha-changes" in the ballroom this year.
Tyra has replaced longtime host Tom Bergeron as well as his co-host Erin Andrews.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
Tom hosted Dancing with the Stars since it premiered on ABC in 2005 -- a span that has covered 28 seasons and over 400 episodes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Erin began serving as co-host of Dancing with the Stars in March 2014 after competing on the show's tenth season and finishing in third place with pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli are returning to Dancing with the Stars as judges.
Dancing with the Stars will air on Monday nights this fall, with The Bachelorette moving to Tuesday nights at 8PM ET/PT for its sixteenth season starring Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams.