DWTS Season 28: James Van Der Beek, Sean Spicer, Lamar Odom, Kel Mitchell and Christie Brinkley Among Cast
by Ryan Schwartz
August 21, 2019


"Good Morning America" on Wednesday revealed the full cast line-up for "Dancing with the Stars" Season 28, which kicks off on Monday, Sept. 16, at 8/7c on ABC.

The pro-dancer pairings were not revealed ahead of the premiere, but the pros competing this season include Brandon Armstrong, Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko and Emma Slater.





The celeb cast includes:

Lauren Alaina (American Idol Alum / Country Music Star)
Supermodel Christie Brinkley
Ally Brooke (Fifth Harmony)
Hannah Brown (The Bachelorette)
Kamaro Brown (Queer Eye)
Kate Flannery (The Office)
Ray Lewis (NFL Hall of Famer)
Kel Mitchell (All That, Kenan & Kel)
Lamar Odom (NBA Champion)
Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer
James Van Der Beek (Dawson's Creek)
The Supremes' Mary Wilson

https://tvline.com/2019/08/21/dancing-with-the-stars-season-28-cast-dwts-james-ver-der-beek-sean-spicer/

"Dancing with the Stars" Host Tom Bergeron Disappointed with Sean Spicer Booking
by Greg Evans
August 21, 2019


Tom Bergeron, the longtime host of ABC’s "Dancing with the Stars", isn’t happy with the booking of Sean Spicer, Donald Trump’s former White House press secretary, as a contestant for the upcoming season.

In a tweet today following the casting announcement, Bergeron wrote that he had hoped the upcoming 28 season “would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations.”

In fact, Bergeron said he left a lunch with the show’s new executive producer (Andrew Llinares) a few months ago and thought they were in agreement.

https://deadline.com/2019/08/dancing-with-the-stars-host-tom-bergeron-sean-spicer-divisive-bookings-1202700784/

Sean Spicer's Dancing with the Stars casting is a cynical ratings grab: ABC loves the negative publicity (https://variety.com/2019/tv/columns/dancing-with-the-stars-sean-spicer-abc-dwts-column-1203309194/)

The negative reaction to the former White House press secretary's casting, overwhelmingly negative though it may be, is exactly why he was cast in the first place, says Caroline Framke. "Even if viewers don’t stick with Spicer week to week (and who knows how long he’ll actually last), there will inevitably be a burst of initial curiosity to boost the premiere ratings," says Framke. "The number of headlines surrounding his mere casting — yes, including this one — guarantee an outsized amount of interest in a season whose biggest cast members otherwise include James Van Der Beek and a Bachelorette. To give the producers an extraordinary benefit of the doubt, they may be a little confused about why Spicer’s any different from other controversial figures they’ve included before, most notably Tucker Carlson (albeit in his less odious 2006 iteration) and Bristol Palin (twice). The crucial difference that they and (host Tom) Bergeron (whose statement spoke vaguely of not wanting the show to indulge (https://www.primetimer.com/item/Tom-Bergeron-suggests-unhappiness-with-Sean-Spicers-casting-on-Dancing-with-the-Stars-GdSR4D) in 'inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations') either fail to understand or refuse to acknowledge is that Spicer’s previous life as a professional liar should really disqualify him from public life, period."

ALSO:

This is one time when we should get uptight (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/arts/television/dancing-with-the-stars-sean-spicer.html): "Dancing With the Stars is just a silly, innocuous reality show, that’s true. And that’s exactly why it shouldn’t be helping Sean Spicer dry-clean his reputation," says James Poniewozik. He adds: "Enter Dancing With the Stars to present him as a good sport who can laugh at himself, who is out there willing to try some dance moves and maybe look silly and hey, can’t we all just let bygones be bygones? Now, look: It’s not as if reality shows cast only paragons of honesty. But this is not simply a matter of Sean Spicer’s having lied. It’s a matter of Sean Spicer’s being a liar, professionally. That is, he’s not a famous person who happened to do something dishonest. He is a person who is famous — singularly, even in an era of 'alternative facts' — for spreading disinformation, about the inauguration, about the president’s claims that he was wiretapped by the previous administration, about Michael Flynn’s resignation. At least publicly, dishonesty is his brand."
Dancing will pay Spicer more than his White House salary if he makes it to Week 3 (https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars-salary-1203309356/)

Sean Spicer Responds to "Dancing With the Stars" Backlash: "I Hope It Will Be a Politics-Free Zone"
by Rick Porter
Aug. 22, 2019


Sean Spicer said he wants to have fun on "Dancing With the Stars" — and also leave politics at the stage door, which early reaction to the casting of the former White House press secretary suggests might be difficult.

Spicer spoke to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday. "I hope it will be a politics-free zone," he said. "My hope is that at the end of the season, Tom looks back on this and realizes what a great example it was of being able to bring people of really diverse backgrounds together to have fun with each other, engage in a real civil and respectful way and maybe show millions of Americans how we can get back to that kind of interaction."

ABC's only statement on the matter came from executive producer Andrew Llinares: "We've got a great and diverse cast. We are excited about the season."

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sean-spicer-responds-dancing-stars-backlash-1233815

Sean Spicer Dancing is proof that Hollywood executives are oblivious when it comes to mixing entertainment and politics (https://variety.com/2019/tv/columns/sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars-hunt-impeachment-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-1203310039/)

"Have they not been paying attention to the way the world now works?" says Michael Schneider of Spicer's casting. "Emotions are running high, and all it takes is a headline to send people to their respective camps. Many entertainment industry execs are on social media, yet they seem to suddenly forget that we now live in a clickbait era, and no one has time for context anymore. I’m not saying creatives should shy away from tackling politics, and certain programs do it quite well — satirical comedies, documentaries, talk shows, and of course, news programs. But when injecting politics into entertainment, realize that you’re walking a fine line — and need to be prepared for the backlash." Referencing FX's recently announced Impeachment: American Crime Story, Schneider adds: "Not all politics are toxic, but there are certain third rails that Hollywood should know by now, in these sharply divided times, to touch at its own peril. And at the top of the list are two names: 'Clinton' and 'Trump.'" ALSO: Succession fans shouldn't be surprised that Spicer is on Dancing with the Stars (https://www.salon.com/2019/08/22/watch-succession-to-understand-why-media-companies-reward-the-worst-people/).

Grey's Anatomy boss to ABC: Please reconsider casting Sean Spicer on Dancing with the Stars (https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/greys-anatomy-showrunner-slams-abc-for-sean-spicer-casting.html)

"I deeply abhor this decision (https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status/1164680912170172417) by the company I work for and truly love," tweeted Grey's and Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff. "This man lied daily, to our faces, and made a mockery of our country. This is not cause for celebration or celebrity. It’s not too late to change this plan. Please." Vernoff not only sent her message to ABC, but to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Earlier today, former ABC star Zach Braff called out the network (https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/1164557457215107073), saying he never thought "ABC would never normalize such an incredibly horrible person." Seth MacFarlane (https://twitter.com/SethMacFarlane/status/1164300732356411392) also tweeted his disappointment. Meanwhile, Queer Eye's Bobby Berk (https://twitter.com/bobbyberk/status/1164669287262502912) tweeted that it's terrible that his co-star Karamo Brown has to be put in a political position simply by signing up for Dancing. "As if being on @DancingABC with the stars wasn’t already one of the must grueling things anyone can put themselves through, celebs now have to deal with the producers & casting planting political land mines to blow you up," Berk tweeted.

President Trump: Sean Spicer "will do great" on Dancing with the Stars (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1164675742984224768)

The president tweeted his reaction Thursday evening to his former White House press secretary competing on the ABC reality show. "Just heard that Sean Spicer will be on Dancing with the Stars. He will do great," Trump tweeted. "A terrific person who loves our Country dearly!" Meanwhile, Omarosa thinks Trump will try to help Spicer win (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/omarosa-thinks-trump-will-help-sean-spicer-win-dancing-stars-1233985). "He'll see this as people voting for or against him, which is why he'll insert himself into the process," Omarosa, who served with Spicer in Trump's White House, told The Hollywood Reporter minutes before Trump's tweet.

Zach Braff: My prediction two years ago that Sean Spicer would go Dancing was "meant to be a joke": I didn't expect ABC to normalize a "horrible person" (https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/zach-braff-sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars/)

"Can't wait to see Sean Spicer waltz on Dancing With the Stars," Braff tweeted on July 21, 2017 (https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/888429186150318080), the day Spicer resigned (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/us/politics/sean-spicer-resigns-as-white-house-press-secretary.html) as White House press secretary. This morning, Braff tweeted (https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/1164557457215107073) of his old tweet: "Meant to be a joke because in my mind ABC would never normalize such an incredibly horrible person."

Dancing with the Stars' popularity in red states may explain Sean Spicer's casting (https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars-nielsen-ratings-trump-1203310722/)

The ABC reality show has faced a "relatively alarming decline" in ratings in the past two seasons, falling 32% in the key 18-49 demo, says Variety's Will Thorne. "The show was in need of a shot in the arm, and the attention over Spicer’s attachment could attract more of the show’s biggest fans," he says. "That’s because, according to Nielsen data obtained by Variety, the region of the country in which Dancing with the Stars performs strongest also happens to be one that is a reliable geographic stronghold for Spicer’s former employer: Red-state America."

Sean Spicer's casting begs the question: Does Dancing with the Stars have a Republican bias? (https://www.tvinsider.com/809019/dancing-with-the-stars-dwts-political-bias/)

"Is Spicer’s casting in the ballroom battle that surprising? Our cursory review of the full slate of DWTS contestants reveals other big names in Republican politics," says Dan Clarendon. "The parquet floor has hosted Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator currently hosting a Fox New shows; Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who ran for the Republican presidential nomination twice and is now Secretary of Energy; Tom DeLay, the former Republican Party House Majority Leader; and Bristol Palin, daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin." He adds: "To our knowledge, not one Democratic politician or commentator has battled for the Mirrorball Trophy." ALSO: Check out the Dancing with the Stars Season 28 cast photos (https://etcanada.com/news/492670/dancing-with-the-stars-unveils-new-pics-of-season-28-cast/).

Christie Brinkley has dropped out. https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/christie-brinkleys-daughter-sailor-to-replace-her-on-dwts-find-out-why/ar-AAHnszZ?ocid=spartanntp

Hope she recovers. She would have been great.

ABC promised to "freshen up" Dancing with the Stars, but it still looks old and creaky (https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2019/09/dancing-with-the-stars-28-premiere-recap/)

ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said at the TV press tour that Dancing would return with "really fun format changes" after a year off to "freshen up the format." But as Andy Dehnart points out, "all Dancing with the Stars season 28 really did was unveil a new set and shed some of its recent tweaks, but it’s the same show with some shiny foil wrapping paper. From the judges’ new scoring paddles to the giant, more stylized mirror ball hanging over the ballroom set, nothing has actually changed but the appearance."

ALSO:

Sean Spicer deletes tweet suggesting judges' lack Christ (https://ew.com/tv/2019/09/17/sean-spicer-tweet-dwts-judges-christ/): "Clearly the judges aren't going to be with me. Let's send a message to #Hollywood that those of us who stand for #Christ won't be discounted," he wrote in the deleted tweet to Mike Huckabee.
Ranking the Dancing contestants from best (James Van Der Beek) to worst (Sean Spicer) (https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/09/17/dancing-with-stars-premiere-ranking-all-contestants-best-worst/)
Spicer says he agrees with Tom Bergeron in that he'd also like to see politics kept off Dancing (https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/sean-spicer-ran-into-tom-bergeron-after-dwts-casting-backlash/)
Spicer on the Dancing backlash: "I'm used to that" (https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sean-spicer-dancing-with-the-stars-backlash-1203339034/)

My opinion is Sean Spicer won't be on Dancing With The Stars long just because he's a terrible dancer. Although (and I'm sorry I can't remember who it was) one other couple got a lower score than Sean and his partner did. And that fluorescent green shirt he was wearing looked ridiculous.

Ed.

I cannot figure out why Dancing With The Stars even exists and is such a huge hit for TV. Is it because they want to jumpstart celebrity careers or is it to help celebrities become popular again? Because ever since it made it's debut in 2001 I can't believe how Dancing With The Stars has lasted for so long because to me celebrities should have a better talent like competing on a game show with other celebrities rather than dancing. Mom and I saw an episode of Dancing With The Stars once and we found the show very unappealing and I just can't figure out why people like to watch two hours of celebrity dancing. Second why does Dancing With The Stars always likes to put very popular celebrities such as Alfonso Ribeiro Jane Seymour Nick Lachey Apolo Anton Ohno rather than stars from sitcoms? I wouldn't mind if they had Bob Newhart Dennis Quaid Brooke Burns Betty White Vanessa Williams Dan Marino or Terry Bradshaw appear in future episodes but why I think ABC chooses stars from their own sitcoms and reality shows is a marketing thing to appear on Dancing With The Stars. The other thing I cannot figure out is why Dancing With The Stars always has a great dance but the songs don't match the type of dance. Like they will have the celebrities dance the foxtrot to Brenton Woods's hit Gimme Little Sign or the celebrities dance the cha-cha to Chris Montez's song Call Me and what Dancing With The Stars should do is have tango music for tangos and waltz music for waltzing but you don't see any country music playing or country line dancing when the celebrities dance a country themed week. Why I think Dancing With The Stars became a popular show was to bring celebrity oriented shows back into popularity like it used to be in the 80's when celebrity game shows and celebrity circus shows were all the rage. But I think Dancing With The Stars will soon get cancelled due to low ratings in the the near future but will remain a pop culture memory for years to come
Bestie

I cannot figure out why Dancing With The Stars even exists and is such a huge hit for TV. Is it because they want to jumpstart celebrity careers or is it to help celebrities become popular again? Because ever since it made it's debut in 2001 I can't believe how Dancing With The Stars has lasted for so long because to me celebrities should have a better talent like competing on a game show with other celebrities rather than dancing. Mom and I saw an episode of Dancing With The Stars once and we found the show very unappealing and I just can't figure out why people like to watch two hours of celebrity dancing. Second why does Dancing With The Stars always likes to put very popular celebrities such as Alfonso Ribeiro Jane Seymour Nick Lachey Apolo Anton Ohno rather than stars from sitcoms? I wouldn't mind if they had Bob Newhart Dennis Quaid Brooke Burns Betty White Vanessa Williams Dan Marino or Terry Bradshaw appear in future episodes but why I think ABC chooses stars from their own sitcoms and reality shows is a marketing thing to appear on Dancing With The Stars. The other thing I cannot figure out is why Dancing With The Stars always has a great dance but the songs don't match the type of dance. Like they will have the celebrities dance the foxtrot to Brenton Woods's hit Gimme Little Sign or the celebrities dance the cha-cha to Chris Montez's song Call Me and what Dancing With The Stars should do is have tango music for tangos and waltz music for waltzing but you don't see any country music playing or country line dancing when the celebrities dance a country themed week. Why I think Dancing With The Stars became a popular show was to bring celebrity oriented shows back into popularity like it used to be in the 80's when celebrity game shows and celebrity circus shows were all the rage. But I think Dancing With The Stars will soon get cancelled due to low ratings in the the near future but will remain a pop culture memory for years to come
Bestie
Hi, Bestie! I am watching DWTS because Sean Spicer is on it. I think it is a boring show with a lot of lousy dancers and also, the dances they "choreograph" for them all look the same. They do a few dance steps then kick their feet and flap their arms. I think the basketball player they have looks like Frankenstein dancing. But, I think it will last a long time. Why? I don't know, but look how long "The Voice" has been on.

Ray Lewis and Cheryl Burke to withdraw from Dancing with the Stars due to injury (https://people.com/tv/dwts-ray-lewis-drops-out-foot-injury/)

The former NFL star re-injured his foot while rehearsing for the cha-cha. “In a game in 2010, I tore a tendon in my foot. And now, all of this dancing, all of this on your toes, I’m reliving a problem that I thought I’d never have to live again,” he said in his video package. “I am having so much fun when it comes to the dancing part. But the part behind the scenes, it’s just been painful. It’s bothered me a lot.”