"Dancing With the Stars" will drop the hat on its 20th season next month, and producers and fans are preparing for the show's biggest season to date.
This season's cast includes Patti LaBelle and Suzanne Somers as well as a noble retired Army Sgt., Noah Galloway, who lost parts of his left leg and left arm due to an IED blast during his time in the Iraq War. He is paired with Sharna Burgess.
LaBelle is paired with Artem Chigvintsev, while Somers will dance with Tony Dovolani.
The early favorites to win appear to be Olympian gymnast Nastia Liukin and Emmy-winning choreographer Derek Hough, who only confirmed his spot on the cast two days before the big reveal.
But the pair will have to earn their trophy against the likes of musicians, a former college football star, actors and even a shark—but not Katy Perry's Left Shark.
Robert Herjavec of "Shark Tank" fame will be on the other side of the judge's panel when the competition begins on March 16. He is paired with Kym Johnson.
Former University of Missouri college football star Michael Sam is paired with Peta Murgatroyd. Sam made headlines last year by becoming the first openly gay athlete in American football.
>>Take our poll: Who do you think will win season 20 of Dancing With the Stars?
If model Charlotte McKinney is to win this year's contest, she'll probably need to stay away from the Carl's Jr. burger that made her famous via a racy Super Bowl advertisement. The same likely goes for her partner, Keo Motsepe.
Musicians Redfoo (one half of LMFAO) and Riker Lynch could steal the spotlight due to their music experience. They will be dancing with Emma Slater and Allison Holker, respectively.
Two actresses, Willow Shields from "Hunger Games" and Rumer Willis, will take the floor as well. Shields will line up next to Mark Ballas, and Willis has been paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
One more celebrity competitior is still to-be-announced. That person will arguably have the advantage by being paired with Whitney Carson, who won last season's comeptition with Alfonso Ribeiro of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fame.
So what else makes this season bigger and better?
Disney and Latin theme nights will return, and a Spring Break theme night will be introduced, according to the network. Lastly, cameras will be placed in the rehearsal studios and be available for viewing via live stream.
The contest begins on March 16.
About the Author