SIDESTEP:Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones (above) is confirmed for the next edition of “Dancing With the Stars.” But he’s the only one. (Reuters)
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The new cast of “Dancing With the Stars” will be unveiled this morning on “Good Morning America” — but, as usual, there are plenty of rumors about probable contestants.
Already confirmed to dance this season is Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones, one of the team’s heroes in its Feb. 3 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Jones scored two touchdowns in the game.
ABC, famous for its knee-jerk “no comment” when it comes to rumored “DWTS” contestants, broke protocol by announcing Jones’ participation on a “DWTS” promo that aired during Sunday night’s Oscarcast. Jones is now featured prominently on the show’s site on abc.com.
As for the rest of the field, here’s what’s been “out there” so far regarding rumored contestants.
Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman, “American Idol” (Season 5) alum Kellie Pickler, Sean Lowe, star of this season’s “The Bachelor” (which also airs on ABC) and Wynnona Judd will all be part of the cast, according to tmz.com.
Reports yesterday also fingered loose-cannon comic Andy Dick, actor D. L. Hughley and Beverly Hills “Real Housewife” Lisa Vanderpump as cast members.
Dick, who has a string of drug arrests, could be a risky pick for a live TV show but the producers seem intent on putting some drama back into the now-predictable series.
Heartthrob professional dancer Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy apparently wasn’t asked back to the show, after mixing it up with “DWTS” judge Len Goodman a few times and generating more ink than the show’s “celebrity” participants (which isn’t supposed to happen).
“DWTS” will try to reclaim some of its ratings mojo — the 16th season premieres March 16 — after last fall’s “All-Star Edition” was a ratings disappointment.
That season ended in late November with a victory for onetime “Bachelor” contestant Melissa Rycroft and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani.
Rycroft was making her second appearance on “DWTS” after replacing the injured Nancy O’Dell in the spring of 2009.