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Dancing With the Stars unveiled the 13 new celebrity-professional pairings competing for the mirror ball trophy on season 19, which kicks off later this month. DWTS alum Julianne Hough returns to serve as the fourth judge, alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman. Longtime host Tom Bergeron is again joined by Erin Andrews.
This fall, DWTS will see a mix of athletes (NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip, MMA champion Randy Couture), an Olympian (track-and-field and bobsled star Lolo Jones), a Mean Girls alum (Jonathan Bennett), a soap opera veteran (General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful’s Antonio Sabato Jr.) and old favorites (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air‘s Alfonso Ribeiro, Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson). The inclusion of talk-show host and author Tavis Smiley, paired with pro Sharna Burgess, may raise eyebrows.
The oldest competitors are 72-year-old fashion designer Betsey Johnson and 76-year-old Tommy Chong, one-half of comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Both are paired with previous winners Tony Dovolani and Peta Murgatroyd, respectively, which may help their cause.
In a move to cater to the younger audience, teen YouTube sensation Bethany Mota will team with DWTS favorite and five-time champion Derek Hough, while Pretty Little Liars actress Janel Parrish follows in co-star Brant Daugherty‘s (season 17) footsteps. A Duck Dynasty presence will also be felt with Phil Robertson‘s granddaughter, 17-year-old Sadie Robertson, who will be paired with two-time winner Mark Ballas and is the season’s youngest star.
Expect to see several new faces on the pro side with three dancers making their debut: former So You Think You Can Dance competitor Allison Holker, Artem Chigvintsev and Keoikantse Motsepe.
Below are the 13 couples competing for the mirror ball trophy this season.
Randy Couture and Karina Smirnoff
Michael Waltrip and Emma Slater
Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy
Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas
Antonio Sabato, Jr. and Cheryl Burke
Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson
Tommy Chong and Peta Murgatroyd
Jonathan Bennett and Allison Holker
Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev
Tavis Smiley and Sharna Burgess
Lolo Jones and Keo Motsepe
Bethany Mota and Derek Hough
Betsey Johnson and Tony Dovolani
Dancing With the Stars premieres Sept. 15 on ABC.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
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