NeNe Leakes is the Atlanta connection for the 18th season cast of "Dancing With the Stars," as previously reported.
The rest of the cast announced today includes Olympic stars (gold medal winning ice dancing couple Meryl Davis and Charlie White, competing separately), a token older actor (Billy Dee Williams), a comic (Drew Carey), 1990s nostalgia actors (Danica McKellar of "The Wonder Years" and Candace Cameron Bure from "Full House"), a young singer (Cody Simpson, whose manager is Atlanta's Scooter Braun), and a Disney actor/singer James Maslow of "Big Time Rush.
There are then three relative unknowns outside their respective areas of expertise: a double-amputee snowboarding champ Amy Purdy, who is missing both legs. (Heather Mills competed with one missing leg.) She will dance with Derek Hough, the most successful DWTS dancer to date, having won the mirror ball five times. Sean Avery is a former hockey player, the first time DWTS has taken someone from that sport. (Oddly, DWTS has never picked a baseball player.) And there's a swimming legend Diana Nyad.
Who could win this? The two ice dancing athletes are automatic frontrunners given their youth and athleticism. The Disney guy James Maslow already has some dancing in his background. Danica McKellar and Candance Cameron Bure both have that nostalgia thing going and both look like they're in good shape. One of those two could make the finals.
Atlanta's Erin Andrews takes over for Brooke Burke-Charvet as a co host with Tom Bergeron. And bad boy pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy returns to dance with White.
Here's a gratuitous photo of Danica McKellar:
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
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