Paula Deen | Pure Dancing with the Stars

Heads Up On Dancing With The Stars Pros On TV

Just a few heads up on some television appearances coming up with a few of our pros from Dancing With The Stars! According to Chelsie Hightower at twitter, she’ll be making a guest appearance on The Murtz show on Wednesday, September 5th.

Secondly, Tony Dovolani will be competing on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” for the $1,000,000 grand prize from September from 17th to the 21st. The proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of World Alzheimer’s Day September 21st. Joining him in the contest are celebrities Paula Deen, Mo’Nique, and Cheech Marin.

Picture of Chelsie above courtesy of her new fashion line at Sugar and Bruno. Lots of cute things. Be sure to see the link.

DWTS Season 14 – Rumor Round Up!!

You’ll notice that ProWatch is no longer in this spot – it had it’s day and I’m afraid we’re going to get nothing more until Tuesday. If you still want to visit it, you can here —> ProWatch.

Every season around this time we create a listing of people who have been rumored to be on the show for this season…and sometimes past seasons, if we see “suspicious” behavior. Things that make you go “hmmmm…” Well, thanks to Vogue, who keeps a list, here we are again. Seriously – thank Vogue because I don’t have the time to hunt them all down, sadly. Wish I did.

Anyway, I tend to rank, categorize and editorialize as I go, so bear with me.

ETA an update to Troy Aikmen. See below.

ETA #2 – Sasha Cohen is officially NOT dancing this season; she confirmed on twitter even though we had pretty much figured that one out.

The Most Solid Season 14 Rumors

Jack Wagner, Melissa Gilbert and Sheri Shepherd – when TMZ first reported on this one, I was skeptical. TMZ has a bit of a spotty record, although some have forgotten. A couple of seasons ago, they got the whole cast exactly right, but last season I tend to think they got played. They got exactly nobody right…they claimed Nancy Grace, but AFTER others (including us) had reported it. But, Gossip Cop backed them up this time, so I have to give it more weight. Of all the sites out there, Gossip Cop not only confirms some rumors, but puts the kibosh on others – some that I knew to be false. They are more reliable, IMO. So…I have to say that I think this is the real deal. Melissa and Sherri are also past seasons rumored contestants – and we know that happens quite a bit. As for Jack, well, ABC Soaps in Depth said they heard a former GH star was dancing, hand Jack was let go from The Bold and the Beautiful (a CBS soap), so that kinda opens a window for him, eh?? As for the video of Melissa going into the DWTS studios…well, that doesn’t look like the normal entrance, but the building structure seems the same. If so…well, doesn’t that eliminate her as Maks’ or Derek’s partner? Unless Derek was fibbing about when he starts rehearsing (next week, per Derek on Ryan’s show).

Maria Menudos – This one isn’t quite as solid as the others, and so far TMZ has no back up. But I sure would like this one to be true. Maria herself is giving nothing away. She’s following no pros, she’s making no teasing comments (that I’ve seen, anyway). If I had a vote I would vote yes.

The Not as Solid, but Still Kinda Solid Season 14 Rumors

Annika Sorenstam – Pro Golfer rumors coming from all sides, including golf aficionados, Tony Dovolani and Annika herself. This one seems plausible, but not as plausible as others. She said she would like to do it, some on twitter are claiming she said yes (although those tweets read kinda weird to me).

Vince Young - Vince straight up said that he had been asked to be on DWTS. Couldn’t tell if he was joking, but the fact that he deleted the tweet was kinda telling. Of course, being asked doesn’t mean he said yes.

Not Solid At All, but Not Speculation Either

Dolly Parton and Gavin Degraw - Both of these rumors came from Hollywood Life who, unfortunately, did not have a good track record last season. And we haven’t heard much about it since the original posting. Not to mention that Dolly, when previously asked, said “hell no”. At first I considered Gavin a more real possibility, but now I’m not so sure. UPDATE: He tweeted earlier today that he’s on his way to LA. Hmmm….

Aferdita Dreshaj - Miss Kosovo said not long ago that she was dancing on DWTS – but was she talking about the Kosovo version of the show? Probably – which is why I stuck her in this category.

Bruce Jenner – Bruce I could handle, but I gotta say no to any other Kardashian relatives. This comes from Hollywood Life once again.

Paula Deene – Hollywood Life was throwing a bunch of stuff at the DWTS wall and waiting to see what would stick. Paula was one of their rumored dancers. I will be curious to see if they get any right.

Bar Refaeli – She was rumored as in negotiation, but it was by a website that I had never heard of before. Not really sure what to make of it, actually, but why would she do it?

Fun Good Morning America Segment With DWTS Co-Host Brooke Burke!! (Video)

Dancing With The Stars’ co-host Brooke Burke was a guest on Good Morning America today to promote her two new fitness DVDS: “Transform Your Body with Brooke Burke – Strengthen & Condition” and “Transform Your Body with Brooke Burke – Tone & Tighten” . Cameron Mathison visits with her and decides to see if she “practices what she preaches” with her work out routines. Was he able to keep up with her? No. They also discuss the next season of Dancing With The Stars. Everyone keeps asking her on the cast, but, her and Tom don’t know anything yet. They call Tom just to make sure he’s not holding out. LOL! Brooke mentions the rumors she’s heard like Paula Deen, Pee Wee Herman, and Richard Simmons. At the end, they run into legendary actor Dick Van Dyke. They ask if he’d like to do some work out moves with Brooke and he says he’s too over the hill. Too cute and a must see!

Rumor Will Paula Deen Dance On Dancing With The Stars Season 14?

So, who knows how true this rumor is, but, Hollywood Life has an “inside source” that says the producers of Dancing With The Stars have asked professional chef Paula Deen to dance. Interesting note: Paula was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. You can read more below and at the link on Paula.

An insider at the hit ABC show tells HollywoodLife.com producers are seriously considering the 64-year-old cook and host for season 14.

“‘DWTS’ suits love good stories,” our source says. “It’s good timing. Paula just confirmed she has diabetes and this could help her a lot.”

As far as Paula’s age, the higher ups aren’t concerned. ”Producers love Paula’s likability and think it would guarantee she’d be around for a couple weeks, regardless,” the insider explains.

What’s more, Louis Van Amstel must have heard this news. Last night, he told Showbiz Tonight he wants to dance with Paula. Below is a take from USA Today…

Last night on HLN’s Showbiz Tonight, Dancing With the Stars pro Louis Van Amstel said, “I have a good idea, activity is the best thing. If Paula Deen goes on Dancing with the Stars, I would love to have her as my partner and she is going to become an inspiration! How about it?!”

Adding: Here’s Louis on Showbiz Tonight…

So, what do you think if this rumor comes true? I think she looks fun and it would be cool to hear her being an advocate of Diabetes on the show! I wish more people would speak up on Diabetes! I can also see her dancing with Louis too…or Tony?

Heidi’s Note: Once again I feel compelled to point out the track record of certain websites last season – up and down. Geez – we like hits too, but you don’t see us jumping on every single person in the news and say “insiders tell us that….”. Seriously, this is starting to look like sites grasping onto every single person to make the news – Tim Tebow, Paula…the list is getting very long. I’m tempted to go back to our posts before the last two seasons and examine just how true alot of this stuff turned out to be. Hey…that’s an idea!!

OF COURSE, Louis is all for it since he would love to be back on the show. That’s a no brainer and really lends no credence or weight to the story at all.

Maybe Paula will dance, maybe she won’t….but I bet the “wish list” the producers have is ten miles long and half of Hollywood is on it. I would like something solid that doesn’t just scream convenience.

The Usual Suspects: The Typecasting of DWTS, Part II

Ok, I realize I promised this yesterday – but alas, the laundry, dishes, & pets needing baths were screaming at me to take care of them, so this got bumped to today…but it is here, prior to the actual announcement of the cast!

Got some great feedback from part 1 – it was nice to see that you guys have noticed similar patterns with previous casts, and even filled me in on some potential contestants that I hadn’t yet heard of! Good stuff…keep it coming!

Alright, onto the other 6 types…

The Teen Idol

Previous examples: Joey McIntyre, Aaron Carter, Donny Osmond, Lance Bass, Mel B., Joey Fatone, Drew Lachey, Joey Lawrence, Ian Ziering, Cody Linley, Sabrina Bryan, Mario Lopez

Advantages: If sales of Tiger Beat are any indicator, the teenyboppers will come out in full force to support their favorite heartthrobs/idols. Being young & good-lookin’ sure doesn’t hurt! Many also have the added advantage of having a decent dance background, especially if they were part of a musical act.

Disadvantages: Youth can also have its disadvantages – as in immaturity. What some might call “youthful exuberance”, others might call “brattiness” or “attention deficit disorder” – poor Cody Linley had a hard time sitting still! Emotion immaturity (a la Aaron Carter’s post-rumba meltdown in the confessional) can be especially off-putting.

Possible candidates this season: The recent development of Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls being a possible participant doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Candace Cameron-Bure (aka D.J. from Full House) has also hinted that she might be a future contestant.

The Host

Previous examples: Jerry Springer, Brooke Burke, Leeza Gibbons, Mario Lopez, Kenny Mayne, Lisa Rinna, Tucker Carlson, Mark Dacascos, Rocco DiSpirito

Advantages: Being that they’ve been at the helm of their own shows, these guys usually have the media savvy & charisma to appeal to the masses, as well as the previous exposure & recognizability. Most (not all!) are also decently attractive, which never seems to hurt (unless, of course, you’re a model – see previous post for explanation).

Disadvantages: Many hosts are only used to hosting – as in just sitting down & talking (or dodging the occasional punch, if you’re Springer), so the lack of “movement experience” problem seems to come into play.

Possible candidates this season: None yet, but a strange part of me would love to see lovable southerner Paula Deen from the Food Network…what’s not to like? She’s like a kinder, gentler, G-rated version of Cloris: she cooks, she eats, she talks in a syrupy southern accent!

The Actor

Previous examples: John O’Hurley, Melissa Joan Hart, Steve Guttenburg, John Ratzenberger, Debi Mazar, Denise Richards, Ted McGinley, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennie Garth, Vivica Fox, Marissa Jaret Winokur

Advantages: Being that their bread & butter is acting, most can usually nail the emotions of the dances. Bonus points if they’ve done Broadway (like Winokur) because they have likely had to dance.

Disadvantages: For lack of a better term, many of them seem to be “has-beens” – actors that haven’t been particularly active in the mainstream in the past several years – or were never that big to begin with (can anyone else think of anything John O’Hurley has been in BESIDES Seinfeld?), making it harder for them to garner votes from a public who may not remember them.

Possible candidates this season: Can’t think of anyone better to embody “has-been” than Shannon Doherty – kicked off both 90210 & Charmed, I can’t think of anything big she’s been involved with in the past 5 years, making her pretty free to do DWTS.

The Reality Star

Previous examples: Kim Kardashian, Kelly Osbourne, Melissa Rycroft, Steve-O, Holly Madison, Trista Sutter, Shanna Moakler

Advantages: Many have achieved pop culture icon status on their respective reality outlets, making them fairly recognizable. Some cast-offs (think Melissa Rycroft) have also found sympathy in the hearts of the viewers.

Disadvantages: They may be memorable for the wrong reasons – people tended to remember things like Kim Kardashian’s sex tape more than her reality show, and people seemed more focused on Holly Madison’s split from Hef than her antics on The Girls Next Door. Many can also come across as attention-hungry & talentless – reality tv is often looked down upon as a way to get famous without having any talent whatsoever.

Possible candidates this season: It pains me to even type the name Kate Gosselin. At least for me, she embodies the worst qualities of reality tv – the scandal, the misplaced priorities, the shameless self-promotion, the greed…I could go on & on. Sig Hansen from Deadliest Catch? Now that, on the other hand, would be absolutely hilarious.

The Singer

Previous examples: Mya, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mario, Belinda Carlisle, Master P, Chuck Wicks, Sara Evans, Willa Ford, Monique Coleman, Toni Braxton, Macy Gray

Advantages: As with the teen idols, many have had dance experience concurrent with their music careers.

Disadvantages: Most seem to be committed solely to one genre of music (often R&B or country), making it hard to appeal to a wide fanbase.

Possible candidates this season: Can I be optimistic once more and through Paula Abdul out there for consideration? J Just let me dream, people…

The Wild Card

Previous examples: Heather Mills, Tom DeLay, Mark Cuban, Steve Wozniak, Priscilla Presley

Advantages: The sheer novelty of having someone with such an off-the-beaten-path claim to fame (famous divorcee/widow, entrepreneur, disgraced politician, etc.) may be enough to have the public voting them – just to see what happens. Being the “underdog” is a powerful thing!

Disadvantages: Due to their often dubious fame, people just may not have any clue who they are – I personally had to Google Mark Cuban’s name.

Possible candidates this season: This is a complete reach, but I would totally stand behind Captain Chesley Sullenberger (the pilot who landed the plane on the Hudson?) competing on the show because it would be a fantastic human interest story. Plus, it’s delightfully random, so it could work.

Ok, we’re mere hours away from the announcement of the new cast. Anyone else you think might be able to round out the cast, based on the “usual suspects”?