DWTS Season 21: Bindi Irwin Revealed as First Celeb Contestant
by Michael Ausiello
August 24, 2015


In what could turn out to be the most drawn out casting announcement in television history, ABC ever-so-slightly pulled the curtain back on "Dancing With the Stars‘" Season 21 cast, revealing Bindi Irwin as the first celeb contestant.

The 17-year-old daughter of late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin admitted on "Good Morning America" that the gig marked a major departure for her. “This is completely different to anything I have ever done in my life,” she said. “I am used to wrangling crocodiles.”

The full DWTS lineup will be (slowly) revealed over the next two weeks, leading up to the Sept. 14 premiere.

http://tvline.com/2015/08/24/dwts-season-21-cast-bindi-irwin-dancing-with-the-stars/

Victor Espinoza Joins "Dancing with the Stars"
by Amanda Michelle Steiner
8/25/15


Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza will appear on next season of "Dancing with the Stars". The announcement was made on "SportsNation" on Tuesday, as ABC continues to trickle out the news on the network’s own programs.

The pros set to team up with the stars have yet to be announced, but Espinoza’s partner will have her work cut out for her: As Espinoza admitted on "SportsNation", he can’t dance and has no rhythm. Should go well.



The full roster of stars is expected to be announced on the Sept. 2 episode of "Good Morning America", where ABC announced their very first star for season 21 — Bindi Irwin.

DWTS is set to premiere Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/25/dancing-stars-victor-espinoza-joins-season-21

Nick Carter Joins "Dancing with the Stars"
by Amanda Michelle Steiner
8/26/15


It’s a boy band world and we’re just living in it. Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is set to join the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars", and I, for one, welcome our boy band overlords.

Carter announced the news on his Twitter Wednesday morning, "You ain't seen nothing yet. #DWTS @DancingABC #NickCarterDWTS"

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/26/dancing-with-the-stars-nick-carter-season-21

Paula Deen and Chaka Khan Join "Dancing with the Stars"
by Sadie Gennis
Aug 26, 2015


Disgraced celebrity chef Paula Deen and music icon Chaka Khan have joined the Season 21 cast of "Dancing with the Stars". E! News first reported the casting.

Deen, who lost her Food Network show in 2013 after she admitted to using the N-word, had turned down the reality series multiple times in the past. "They did ask me and I said no," she said at the time. "Fat girls don't look good sweating."



In addition to the five announced celebrity contestants, nine of the 12 pros have also been revealed, including Karina Smirnoff, Val Chmerkovskiy, Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, Artem Chigvintsev, Allison Holker, Witney Carson, Sharna Burgess and Peta Murgatroyd.

The full cast will be revealed on "Good Morning America" on Sept. 2. "Dancing" premieres Monday, Sept. 14 at 8/7c.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/nick-carter-paula-deen-chaka-khan-dancing-with-the-stars/

I'm for Chaka Khan not Paula Deen.

Vine Star Hayes Grier, 15, Joins "Dancing with the Stars"
by Amanda Michelle Steiner
8/27/15


Hayes Grier, brother of Nash and star of Vine, has officially joined the "Dancing with the Stars" roster.

At just 15 years old, Hayes is the second-youngest star to join the competition. (The Hunger Games star Willow Shields was just 14 when she joined the cast for season 20.)



Hayes’ fan base is mainly comprised of the social media-happy teens who grew his follower counts on Vine, Twitter, and Instagram to 4 million, 2.93 million, and 4.1 million, respectively.

"Start tweeting and retweeting #hayesdwts @DancingABC
Love all of you who helped me get here . Go give the video a thumbs up and respond!"



The other confirmed cast members, so far, include Bindi Irwin, Victor Espinoza, Nick Carter, Paula Deen and Chaka Khan.

DWTS premieres Sept. 14 at 8 p.m ET on ABC.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/27/dancing-with-the-stars-hayes-grier-vine-season-21

"Dancing with the Stars" Taps Alexa and Carlos PenaVega
by Amanda Michelle Steiner
8/27/15


Alexa and Carlos PenaVega are the latest stars confirmed by ABC to join the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars".

Alexa starred in the Spy Kids franchise and recently appeared in "Nashville".

Carlos is a former boy bander who performed in the band Big Time Rush from 2009–2013. He also appeared on Nickelodeon’s "Big Time Rush" — about the misadventures of four boys who decide to form a band — for the same amount of time.



The pair announced their joint candidacies for the Mirror Ball Trophy from Disneyland on Thursday — Alexa’s 27th birthday.

"Beyond excited that @vegaalexa and I are going to be competing this season on #season21 @dancingabc .. Spending 24 hours at @disneyland #disneyland60 to celebrate!!! Happy birthday baby girl!!"



The happy couple will not be dancing with one another.

They join the previously announced Bindi Irwin, Victor Espinoza, Nick Carter, Paula Deen, Chaka Khan and Hayes Grier.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/27/dancing-with-the-stars-alexa-penavega-carlos-penavega-season-21

Kim Zolciak Joins "Dancing with the Stars" Season 21
by Chris Harnick
Aug. 27, 2015


Kim Zolciak is going dancing! The "Don't Be Tardy" star will hit the dance floor for season 21 of "Dancing with the Stars", E! News has exclusively learned from multiple sources.

Kim shot to fame on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta". From there, she launched a singing career and got her spinoff, the appropriately titled "Don't Be Tardy"…

A mom of six, Kim is married to footballer Kroy Biermann. The two met while Kim was on RHOA and their wedding was chronicled for a spinoff.



The full cast will be announced on "Good Morning America" on September 2.

"Dancing with the Stars" returns September 14 on ABC.

http://www.eonline.com/news/690521/kim-zolciak-joins-dancing-with-the-stars-season-21

Andy Grammer Joins "Dancing With the Stars"
by Samantha Highfill
8/31/15


Nick Carter might have a boy band background, but it looks like he’s going to have some competition for the coveted "Dancing With the Stars" Mirror Ball Trophy when singer-songwriter Andy Grammer shows up.

Grammer — whose hit “Honey I’m Good” was certainly a song of the summer — announced that he’ll be joining "Dancing With the Stars" while appearing on "On Air with Ryan Seacrest".

"You heard that right - @andygrammer is going to be on this season of #DWTS!! @DancingABC"

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/31/andy-grammer-dancing-with-the-stars-season-21

Meet the Cast of "Dancing with the Stars" Season 21


Tamar Braxton
Partnered w/ Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Braxton is a Grammy-nominated singer who starred with her sisters on the reality show "Braxton Family Values". She currently co-hosts the talk show "The Real".





Gary Busey
Partnered w/ Anna Trebunskaya

The eccentric actor is best known for his work in action films including Lethal Weapon, Point Break and Under Siege.

He has also appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew", "Celebrity Apprentice" (twice), and" Celebrity Big Brother" in the U.K., which he won in 2014.





Nick Carter
Partnered w/ Sharna Burgess

Carter rose to fame in the 1990s as the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, and later released two solo albums.





Paula Deen​
Partnered w/ Louis van Amstel

Deen is a celebrity chef and cooking show host known for her Southern recipes. However, lately, she's been in the news for more controversial topics, including using racial epithets.





Victor Espinoza
Partnered w/ Karina Smirnoff

Espinoza is a jockey who won the Triple Crown this year (with victories at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes) atop American Pharoah.

He also won the Kentucky Derby with War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome in 2014.





Andy Grammer
Partnered w/ Allison Holker

Grammer's "Honey, I'm Good" is a current radio staple that has cracked the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.





Hayes Grier
Partnered w/ Emma Slater

The 15-year-old is a celebrity thanks to the number of followers he has on the video-and photo-based social media platforms Vine and Instagram.





Bindi Irwin
Partnered w/ Derek Hough

Irwin is the 17-year-old daughter of the late Steve Irwin (a.k.a. The Crocodile Hunter).

A wildlife enthusiast and conservationist in her own right, Bindi has followed in her father's footsteps and starred in a number of nature-themed TV shows and documentaries.





Chaka Khan
Partnered w/ Keo Motsepe

The legendary songwriter (and 10-time Grammy winner) is known for hits as both a solo artist and frontwoman of the group Rufus, including "Tell Me Something Good," "I'm Every Woman" and "Ain't Nobody."





Alexa Penavega
Partnered w/ Mark Ballas

PenaVega is a child star best known as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids movies and also starred in the ABC Family series "Ruby & The Rockits".





Carlos Penavega
Partnered w/ Witney Carson

Carlos is mostly known as Carlos Garcia on Nickelodeon's "Big Time Rush" (as well as a member of the band that spawned from the TV show). He'll be competing against his wife, Alexa, this season.





Alek Skarlatos
Partnered w/ Lindsay Arnold

You might not know him by name, but Skarlatos is one of three Americans who subdued a gunman on a train that was traveling from Amsterdam to Paris just last month.

French authorities credit Skarlatos, an Oregon National Guardsman, and his friends with preventing a massacre.





Kim Zolciak​ Biermann
Partnered w/ Tony Dovolani

Zolciak was one of the original cast members on "Real Housewives of Atlanta", and also starred in the spin-off "Don't Be Tardy ...", which followed her as she planned her wedding to NFL player Kroy Biermann.

http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview/gallery/dancing-with-the-stars-season-21-cast/

I've hardly heard of most of these people. Nice to see one of the guys that subdued the gunman is there.

I've hardly heard of most of these people. Nice to see one of the guys that subdued the gunman is there.

Is this the worst Dancing cast ever (http://tvline.com/2015/09/02/dancing-with-the-stars-worst-cast-ever-paula-deen-dwts/)?

Paula Deen?!! YUCK!!!

Gary Busey should be fun to watch -- he was quite eccentric on The Celebrity Apprentice.

with Bindi, Chaka and Victor in the mix shows quite a diverse cast of backgrounds.

And having a genuine hero -- Alek Skarlatos -- on the show is a real plus for me!!

My popcorn popper is warming up!!

This is getting boring right now and what made it worse was Len's departure.

If it had the Chaka from Land Of The Lost I might have watched.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/11/25/bindi-irwin-was-the-obvious-dancing-with-the-stars-front-runner-did-she-win/

As Emily Yahr notes, “sympathizing with Irwin’s tragic backstory and seeing her infectious charm, the Dancing With the Stars audience fell for her immediately. The judges also loved her from the start, gushing over her bubbly energy on the dance floor.”

Yeah, I thought the samething. Didnt watch the season but it was pretty obvious that she was going to win.

Congradulations!!!

Bindi deserved winning. She was the best dancer.