Celebrity & Dancer Pairs Unveiled for New Season of Dancing with the Stars

They've got their partners. Now, they just have to learn the moves!

Following the cast announcement on Monday, ABC on Wednesday unveiled the celebrity-dancer pairings for the new season of Dancing with the Stars, premiering March 21st.

The couples are as follows: Kendra Wilkinson and Louis van Amstel; Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas; Wendy Williams and Tony Dovolani; Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Petra Nemcova and Dimitry Chaplin; Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke; Romeo and Chelsie Hightower; Mike Catherwood and Lacey Schwimmer; Sugar Ray Leonard and Anna Trebunskaya; Hines Ward and Kym Johnson; and Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff.

The stars have three weeks to prepare for the premiere, and Alley, 60, said the pressure is on.

"My partner [Maksim Chmerkovskiy] is calling me 'G' for Grandma," she said at Monday's press conference. "He says I'm too slow. I call him 'M' for mean."

Kirstie Alley Join Dancing with the Stars

Get ready to rumba!

Actress Kirstie Alley, reality star Kendra Wilkson and talk show host Wendy Williams will square off against former boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard, actor Ralph Macchio and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, it was announced live Monday night.

The cast – 11 stars in all – was revealed during The Bachelor telecast. Model Petra Nemcova, actress Chelsea Kane, radio personality Mike Catherwood, singer and actor Romeo, and WWE star Chris Jericho are also competing.

The celebrities, whose respective professional dancer pairings will be revealed on Wednesday, have just three weeks to prepare for the March 21st season premiere on ABC.

The nerves are already kicking in for Kane, who starred on Disney Channel’s Jonas L.A.

"I don't know how I'm going to react to the judges when there's a camera on my face and I'm trying to smile through it," Kane, 22, says. "Hopefully, I won't ruin my makeup."

Derek Hough Leaves Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars will be a little less fabulous when it returns to ABC in March.

"I'm taking season 12 off," three-time champ Derek Hough told People magazine. The Dancing pro, 25, will be busy playing the lead role in the upcoming dance movie Cobu 3D, which is slated to film in New York and Toronto this spring.

Hough will play a New Orleans street dancer who moves to New York and falls for an Asian drummer (played by Korean pop recording star BoA). The Romeo and Juliet-style love story (their dance groups are rivals) will be accented by "some incredible dance numbers," says Hough. "People will see a much edgier side of me and these other styles of dance I'm capable of doing."

Hough has already started training for the film by working out in the gym and brushing up on his tap dancing skills. He says he's put on "about 10 lbs. of muscle" for the film, "which is a lot for me."

Everyone at Dancing with the Stars is excited for Hough's new endeavor. "We wish Derek the best as he takes time off from Dancing with the Stars to pursue his film career," the show's executive producer, Conrad Green, stated, "and look forward to having him return to the show in the fall."

And Dancing fans can expect Hough to come back to the ballroom better than ever for season 13.

"I will be making it back to Dancing with the Stars in the fall. I'm just taking a little break and taking this chance to grow and expand a little bit as an artist," Hough says. "It's like I told one of the producers on the show – I'll come back with a whole new set of skills."

Dancing With The Star's Maksim Chmerkovskiy Did Not Turn Down U.S. Version of The Bachelor

While it certainly would have been the most dramatic network crossover ever, Dancing with the Stars‘ resident hunk Maksim Chmerkovskiy did not, in fact, turn down an offer to star in ABC’s hit dating show The Bachelor, according to a show source.

Though Maks writes on his blog that he “turned down the American version” of The Bachelor and will instead star in a Ukrainian version of the show, a show source said that ABC did meet with the Dancing star but never offered him the gig as chief rose-master.

Not only would the Bachelor‘s shooting schedule conflict with Dancing, which returns in March, the show has had limited success with “high concept” Bachelors (think The Fake Prince, The British Bloke, The Football Player) — and there’s no reason to think viewers would buy that notorious playboy Maks was there (all together now) for the right reasons.

Reps for Chmerkovskiy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Portia de Rossi Turns Down Dancing With the Stars

Portia de Rossi was asked to be on the next season of Dancing With the Stars, but she declined, her publicist told Entertainment Weekly.

PopEater had reported that the hit show’s producers were keen on Ellen DeGeneres’ wife as one half of the show’s first same-sex dance couple. When she elected not to take part, the idea was reportedly shelved for the time being.

Rumors are also circulating that Todd Palin, Sarah's better half and Bristol's dad, is being pursued to join the competition next season. Hopefully this is not true, as I will not be watching it! No more Palins on Dancing With the Stars!

Jennifer Grey to Undergo Surgery Due to Dancing With The Stars Injury

When Jennifer Grey clinched a first-place win on Dancing with the Stars last week, she left the ballroom with the mirror-ball trophy – and a ruptured disk in her lower back.

Now that she's done with her weekly dance duties, the Dirty Dancing star, 50, is due to undergo surgery either this week or next, reports Access Hollywood.

"It's just going be like a little surgery where they take out the ruptured disc thing, and you know, it won't be a big deal," she says. "Compared to the other surgeries I had on my neck, my doctor says it won't be a big deal. I'll be home that night."

These "other surgeries" refer to the procedures Grey underwent as a result of the 1987 car accident that left her with two decades worth of chronic neck pain. It was one of these surgeries, which she underwent last year, that revealed she had thyroid cancer. (She later had her entire thyroid removed.)

But it was the spirit of the show that took the pain – which was made obvious by the ice pack tucked into her costume on the show's finale – away, she says.

"I got to tell you, the win and the experience of doing – more the experience of doing Dancing with the Stars – already, like I don't even remember the pain I was in a week ago," she says. "I just have some discomfort in [my] back that needs to be taken care of ... Okay, it's a little more than discomfort."

And the Winner of Dancing With The Stars is...

With a season full of surprises and shocking eliminations, it's no mystery that Tuesday's finale of Dancing with the Stars was a nail-biter, right down to the last remaining minutes of the telecast.



As consistently low-scoring Bristol Palin advanced ahead of stronger dancers like Audrina Patridge and Brandy, fans and the media argued about whether Dancing had lost its credibility.

Palin held her own on Monday night's performance show against the season's most dynamic performer, actress Jennifer Grey, and charismatic actor Kyle Massey. Still, Palin received the lowest scores.

Did Palin's fans vote in droves to ensure she takes the Season 11 mirror-ball trophy home to Alaska? Or did America truly vote for the best dancer – which, depending on whom you ask, is either Grey or Massey?



It's Jennifer Grey!

The audience cheered and the actress broke into tears as her professional partner, Derek Hough, jumped up and and down. This is the third win for Hough, who also had victories with Nicole Scherzinger and Brooke Burke.

Grey, 50, endured health problems throughout the competition and on Tuesday night danced through pain from a slipped disc.

Massey, 19, came in second place, and Palin's amazing run ended. The 20-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin had a third-place finish.

Dancing With the Stars: Did Bristol Palin Save Her Best for Last?

Grey has dazzled Dancing With the Stars fans and judges with incredible routines. And on Monday night, the season's final performance show, Grey and partner Derek Hough achieved perfection for the second week in a row.

They received 30 out of 30 points for both of their dances – a paso doble that had the audience and the judges on their feet and a freestyle that had Bruno Tonioli raving about "two dances at the opposite end of the spectrum and both equally brilliant!"

Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer didn't disappoint with a suave foxtrot that earned a solid 27 out of 30 points and had judge Len Goodman gushing that the actor had gone from "Messy Massey to marvelous."

The duo's hip-hop themed freestyle earned them a score of 29 out of 30 points and Massey a new nickname from Carrie Ann Inaba, who called him "the Fresh Prince of Dancing with the Stars."

At the bottom, once again, were Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas.

The 20-year-old Palin emerged from a hibernation of sorts – and not just because Mama Grizzly Sarah Palin was sitting in the front row – with the routine that earned a much-deserved standing ovation and a score of 27 out of 30.

But their Chicago-themed freestyle didn't fare as well. The musical-inspired routine fell short, with Bruno Tonioli commenting that it was "not quite at the level" of what a finale night freestyle should be, earning 25 points for a combined total score of 52/60 for the night.

Now that the judges' scores have been tallied, the contestants' fates are in the hands of the American voting public. Will Palin's fans pull her through again? Hopefully NOT!

The season 11 live results show airs tonight at 9:00 pm (ET) on ABC.

If Bristol Palin Wins, 'Dancing' is Ruined

At first, having Bristol Palin participate in 'Dancing With The Stars' seemed like a brilliant idea (not to me). Just like Kate Gosselin before her, casting an admittedly bad dancer who was shrouded in controversy has raked in big ratings and tons of press. But now the joke is on the show's producers, as they fear Bristol is actually going to win this thing.

"This will be a disaster for the show if Bristol wins," one TV insider has stated. "Any creditability the show had will be over. It will go from being a dancing competition to a popularity competition where whoever has the most rabid fan base will always win no matter how little talent they have."

And while it's true Bristol's dancing has improved since the season began, no one with working eyes would put her in the same league as the other remaining stars, Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey.

"Another problem the producers foresee is that after Bristol wins no one in Hollywood will ever want to be on the show again," a well-placed ABC source said. "Why would a real star want to compete and lose against someone like [former U.S. Senate candidate] Christine O'Donnell or Levi Johnston. It's humiliating. The producers know they are in big trouble for sure."

And it's not just future contestants and viewers that the show needs to worry about. A friend of one of the judges has said that Bristol has made a fool out of all of the judges. It's now painfully obvious that the judge's scores and opinions mean nothing.

Let's hope they are all wrong and next season the show gets back to what it does best, dancing.

Is Bristol Palin Headed to Dancing Finals?

Kyle Massey wooed the Dancing With the Stars judges during the semifinals, but was it enough? Or did Bristol Palin's amazing run finally end?

And did Brandy's fall to the bottom two send her packing? Or is Jennifer Grey going to be the latest surprise elimination on Tuesday night?

It's another ballroom shocker: Brandy was sent packing.

Members of the audience gasped and some booed at hearing the results, but the R&B star's pro partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, took the high road.

"People vote and their voices count," he said. "I don't regret a second ... of being on this season. It's been an amazing journey."

Moving to the finals are Massey, Grey and Palin.

Portia DeGeneres Could Be in First Dancing With The Stars Same-Sex Couple

Portia DeGeneres has been tipped to be in the first same-sex couple on Dancing With the Stars, radio host Ryan Seacrest says.

He told the Ally MacBeal actress on his show that the dance show is “planning to feature a same-sex couple. You’re at the top of the list.”

DeGeneres, who recently took her wife Ellen’s surname, replied: “Goodness, you really do break news.”

She added: “I’m not gonna pass, let me think about it. I used to be a ballet dancer. It’s not completely a pass. You never know.”

According to the New York Post, Dancing With the Stars producer ABC does not comment on casting rumours but is said to be watching keenly to see how the first same-sex couple in the Israeli version of the show fares.

Did Bristol Palin Survive Another Week of Dancing?

Bristol Palin may miss her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, but the teen mom is making herself nice and cozy on Dancing with the Stars – in the cellar.

For another week, Palin and partner Mark Ballas finished last with an Argentine Tango and a samba that couldn't match up with the skills of the other contestants.

But Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya were only one point away from the bottom with their waltz and cha-cha performances.

Did Palin survive another week Tuesday, leaving Warner to pack his bags? Or did this week's elimination follow the last two shockers?

Palin will dance another day as Warner was eliminated. The audience chanted, "M.V.P.," to the retired football star.

It's now down to four semi-finalists. Along with Palin, they are Brandy, Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey.

Cheryl Burke Calls Rick Fox Elimination Dancing With The Stars' 'Most Shocking'

Cheryl Burke and Rick Fox can relate to Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani.

Only one week after Patridge and Dovolani's jaw-dropping elimination on Dancing with the Stars, Burke and Fox experienced what they considered a premature departure from the show.

"This is the most shocking elimination I've ever been through out of all ten seasons," Burke told reporters backstage immediately following Tuesday's show. "That just shows you that you really need to vote. At the end of the day, no one's really safe."

But Burke and Fox, who landed in a higher spot than both Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin on Monday night, have no regrets. "We did the best we could do," Burke said. "There's nothing I would take back. It was his best night. It was our best night. It's better to leave like this, though – just to go out on top."

As for Fox, he, too, is disappointed about leaving the show.

"I'm going to miss coming here and being with the other contestants and the dancers and hanging out with them," he said. "This made me a stronger person. It made my relationships stronger across the board."

Dancing With the Stars' 200th Episode Special

For the epic 200th episode of "Dancing With the Stars," the series is planning to pull out all the stops, and that includes more than a few cameos from past contestants.

Melanie Brown and Helio Castroneves will both join the judging panel as guests, and winners Apolo Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi will lead two teams of remaining contestants in a cha-cha-cha battle royale.

But who do the former champs get to work with? After the Week 6 results show, ABC revealed the teams.

Kristi's team: Bristol Palin, Rick Fox & Kyle Massey

Apolo's team: Jennifer Grey, Brandy & Kurt Warner

So there you have it. The two seem evenly matched, but if Kurt and Jennifer plan on turning around their low scores this week, you can bet they'll come in with guns a' blazing. And by guns... we mean feet.

Dancing With the Stars' Shocking Elimination!

The rock-n-roll-themed episode has everyone on Dancing With the Stars all shook up.

Jennifer Grey fell from grace, failing to impress judges Monday night with her Paso Doble. The actress and partner Derek Hough's combined score with the bonus free-for-all round was 29, only one point higher than struggling regulars Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas. Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya, meanwhile, ended up in last place with a meager total of 22.

So who was sent packing?

In a shocker, Audrina Patridge was eliminated. She and partner Tony Dovolani had been tied with Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke for second place after each pair scored all eights.

"I've had so much fun this entire experience," said Patridge. "Tony has been such an amazing teacher." To the judges, she added, "Thank you for all the comments."

R&B singer Brandy remains atop the leader board after earning Monday night's highest score and dominating the dance marathon.

The Situation's Book Cover

Reality star, dancer, and now author – is there anything Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino can't do? (Or anywhere he won't flash his abs?)

The Jersey Shore star and former Dancing with the Stars contestant has a new book coming out. Titled Here's the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore, the cover features, shockingly, a photo of a grinning Sorrentino flashing his famous abs.

The book is published by Gotham and will released on November 2nd.

The Situation may be the first author to come out of Jersey Shore, but his costar, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, is following in his footsteps, with plans to write a book of her own.

Spoiler Alert! Did Bristol Palin or Florence Henderson Get Booted Off Dancing With The Stars?

Bristol Palin found herself in a hairy situation Monday night on Dancing with the Stars.

The contestant – who celebrated her 20th birthday the same night – and partner Mark Ballas sported furry monkey suits during part of their jive routine, which failed to impress judges.

Dancing to the Monkees theme song on a night of TV-themed performances, Palin and Ballas earned just 18 points, landing them in last place, behind Kyle Massey, who scored 20, and Florence Henderson, who scored 21.

Did Palin pack up her Dancing shoes and head back to Alaska? Keep reading to find out who was kicked off during Tuesday's elimination show.

Bristol is safe! And so is Kyle! Instead, Henderson was told she earned the lowest combined score and was eliminated.

"I've been in TV for 50 years and I have to say honestly this has been one of the best produced shows I've ever been on," the Brady Bunch star said after she heard the news. "I've loved the show since it began. It's just a tremendous show."

Henderson, who danced with pro Corky Ballas, added, "I hope I've inspired people to get off their behinds and move and dance and live and enjoy life."

Spoiler Alert: Did 'The Situation' Get the Boot from Dancing with the Stars?

Another week, another bottom three ranking for Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino on Dancing With the Stars.

Trailing just below Bristol Palin and Kurt Warner, Sorrentino and his partner Karina Smirnoff failed to impress judges once again, coming in last place Monday night with a combined score of 28 out of 60.

Even Sorrentino's infamous abs, which were exposed on the show, could not save the Jersey Shore star from low scores. Did they save him from elimination? Or was it Palin or Warner who got the boot?

It's a sad Situation.

"You know what? I told myself if I got eliminated today, I put it all out on the floor last night," said Sorrentino after he was bounced from the ballroom. "I made it to the fourth round. ... I'm not a dancer, and I tried to practice. It was definitely hard."

Spoiler Alert: Did Margaret Cho Survive on Dancing With The Stars?

Margaret Cho's rainbow ensemble for gay pride earned the respect of the judges on Monday night.

Not so her Samba, which landed the comedienne at the bottom of the bottom four on Dancing With the Stars, below Bristol Palin, The Situation and Florence Henderson.

At the end of Tuesday night's results show, did Cho get the last laugh and stick around? Or was she sent shimmying her way back to the comedy club?

Cho didn't survive the competition.

"I was surprised because I had the best teacher," she said. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to dance."

Her pro partner Louis Van Amstel said, "I love you and our journey hasn't finished."

Levi Johnston Gets Hot & Heavy in New Brittani Senser Music Video

While ex Bristol Palin is doing plenty of dancing as a contestant on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, Levi Johnston is doing a different sort of dancing – dirty dancing – in singer Brittani Senser's new music video.

The clip for the R&B song "After Love," which features Johnston writhing and cuddling with Senser on a blanket, perhaps escalated problems in the 20-year-old's relationship with Palin over the summer. In an interview with People magazine at the time, Palin said Johnston lied about the purpose of a trip to California during which time he shot the music video.

"He told me [his trip to L.A.] was to see some hunting show," she said at the time, "but come to find out it was that music video mocking my family."

While there don't appear to be any overt references to the Palin family in the steamy (and melodramatic) clip, Johnston's character does, at one point, get pulled over by police officers and receives what appears to be a restraining order from Senser's mother in the video.

As Senser tells Celebuzz, "Whatever the reason Levi and Bristol broke up, it has nothing to do with the video. The video hadn't been shot when [Bristol] thought it already had been. I feel bad if anybody feels like that was the reason."

And though she and Johnston were spotted out together at the Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles last August, he says there's no off-camera romance brewing between the two.

"We're friends," he told People magazine at the time. [She's] just a friend. She's a singer."