Dancing With the Stars returns to ABC with all new episodes Monday night, with celebs like Maria Menounos and Sherri Shepherd going head-to-head for the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.
TV host Menounos, 33, is “so prepared” to win, according to her partner Derek Hough, 26. “She came in with a little kit with ibuprofen, bandages, scissors. . . She’s a dedicated person, she’s very hard working and she’s beautiful.”
Family Matters star Jaleel White, 34, had “dodged this show for a little bit,” until his mother convinced him to give it a chance. Now he’s praying pro partner Kym Johnson can whip him into shape. “I’m actually here to win, so we’re going to leave [my Steve Urkel] dance on YouTube where it belongs!”
The View‘s Shepherd, 44, said competing on the ABC reality series “is a dream come true.”
“I’ve wanted to do the show since Season 1 when Kelly Monaco‘s boob popped out of her dress. I was like, ‘Wow, that could be me!”‘ Shepherd joked to Us Weekly after the cast reveal on Good Morning America in Hollywood February 28. “And then when I first saw Val [Chmerkovskiy] dance, and I’ve seen him on YouTube — I wanted him as a partner! I prayed for this one! So God is real!”
Heather Locklear‘s former fiance Jack Wagner, 52, was “approached the very first season” but held out for several years. “I’ve seen the show and how grueling it can be, and I’m for that,” he told Us. “It’ll be cool.”
He added: “This is really a test and a challenge. I’ve been around musical theatre my whole life doing plays, but I’ve never taken a dance course, so this is my chance.”
Try as they might, Menounos, White, Shepherd and Wagner may be no match for Cuban-American actor William Levy, 31.
“He is going to be the dark horse front runner this season! He is so hot and a really good dancer,” a source close to Dancing With the Stars tells Us. “He is going to be the Gilles Marini of season 14.”
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Other competing celebs include singer Gavin DeGraw, Melissa Gilbert, Donald Driver, Katherine Jenkins, Gladys Knight, Martina Navratilova and Roshon Fegan.
Dancing With the Stars airs at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
