‘Dancing with the Stars’ cast announced
Feb 9th, 2009 | By Jeremy D. Bonfiglio | Category: Dancing With The Stars, News
ABC has announced the cast of its eighth season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
The 13 celebs include an NFL legend, a computer icon, a female rapper, three music artists and a “Jackass.” The only real surprise is the return of two-time “Dancing with the Stars” champ Julianne Hough, who had previously announced that she would sit out this season. Instead Hough will be paired with her boyfriend, country crooner Chuck Wicks. They won’t be the only couple on the ballroom floor.
Husband and wife Ty Murray and Jewel will be competing against each other as will newly engaged professional dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff.
Couples will once again take part in a team dance, group dance and face-off, as well as perform the Argentine Tango and East Coast Swing, a first in the series. Another change is that the bottom two couples facing elimination will hold a dance-off to determine who is dismissed in the first weeks of competition. The eighth season premieres at 8 p.m. Monday, March 9 on ABC.
Here’s the full cast list:
Belinda Carlisle, 50, lead singer of The Go-Gos
David Alan Grier, comic “In Living Color”
Jewel, singer and “Nashville Star” host
Shawn Johnson, 17, Olympic gymnast (four medals in Beijing)
Lil’ Kim, rapper
Gilles Marini, French actor (”Sex and the City” movie)
Ty Murray, rodeo star and Jewel’s husband
Steve-O (aka Stephen Glover), “Jackass”
Nancy O’Dell, 42, “Access Hollywood” host
Denise Richards, Bond girl, “Wild Things,” reality star
Lawrence Taylor, NFL Hall of Famer
Chuck Wicks, country singer and Julianne Hough’s boyfriend
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple computers and Kathy Griffin’s ex-boyfriend








