Dancing With the Stars’ 30th season cast may well be its most eclectic yet, with a host of TV and reality stars going up against some of the world’s greatest professional athletes, including an NBA basketball star, an Olympic gold medalist – and a former Rockette.
The full line-up of celebrities taking part in the latest series of the reality show was announced on Wednesday morning – two weeks after the first two cast members, JoJo Siwa and gymnast Suni Lee – were revealed to the world.
In the days since, several other stars have been seen arriving at rehearsals, including former Broadway star and Rockette-turned-The Talk host Amanda Kloots, The Bachelor’s Matt James, and reality star Christine Chiu of Netflix hit Bling Empire.
Motley crew: Dancing With the Stars ‘ 30th season cast may well be its most eclectic yet as the contestants were announced on Good Morning America on Wednesday
Ready to go? The Office’s Melora Hardin, 54, (left) has joined the cast of this year’s season of Dancing With the Stars alongside Martin Kove, 75, of Karate Kid and Cobra Kai fame
Fit and active: Popular Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby, 33, will also appear on the show – which announced its full star line-up on Wednesday morning
While their participation has now been cemented courtesy of the official cast announcement on Good Morning America, the other twinkle-toed celebrities who will be joining them have now also been revealed, including The Office actress Melora Hardin, 54, former Karate Kid star Martin Kove, 75, and popular Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby, 33.
Also set to appear on the iconic dance floor will be professional wrestler and reality star Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin, country singer Jimmie Allen, NBA basketball player Iman Shumpert, former Spice Girl Mel C, Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kenya Moore, actor Brian Austin Green, and Lori Loughlin’s YouTuber daughter Olivia Jade.
The stars will each take part in the competition – which begins on September 20 – alongside a professional dancer partner, while judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough will critique their routines each week.
Big reveal: Some of the contestants were filmed on location at Disney’s California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, California
Dynamic duo: GMA hosts Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer had the honor of presenting
Tremendous trio: Suni Lee, Mel C, and JoJo Siwa (pictured left to right) were among those in attendance during the cast announcement
Former supermodel Tyra Banks, who made history as the first-ever black female host of the show – is also returning to lead the weekly coverage of the dance contest.
No doubt the competition for the famous mirror ball trophy will be fierce, particularly among the contestants who boast an impressive dance background, like ex-Rockette Amanda, 39, Olympic gymnastics champion Suni, 18, and 18-year-old Dance Moms alum JoJo – who will make history on this year’s season as the first star to pair up with a pro partner of the same sex.
The stars have already been hard at work on their routines – with several of this year’s contestants seen arriving at training in Los Angeles over the past few weeks. But who stands the best chance of walking away with the trophy at the end of the show?
Blonde ambition: Amanda Kloots, who is co-host of daytime talk show The Talk, also appeared on the show
Coming up roses: Former The Bachelor Matt James joined the four ladies during the exciting cast announcement
JoJo Siwa, 18
Joelle Joanie ‘JoJo’ Siwa earned fame early as at the age of nine she was the youngest contestant on the second season of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. She ultimately became a top five finalist in the show produced by Abby Lee Miller of Dance Moms fame which aired back in 2013. Siwa then began to appear on Dance Moms before ultimately being selected for the team in 2015.
In 2016, she expanded her career as she released music singles Boomerang which addressed online bullying and was highly successful with the project as the video has been viewed more than 900million times and has received 2.5million likes. In 2019 she went on tour hitting 52 cities throughout the US and Canada.
Experienced: Joelle Joanie ‘JoJo’ Siwa (seen in June) earned fame early as at the age of nine she was the youngest contestant on the second season of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition
In 2017, she signed with Nickelodeon before being named one of the ‘100 most influential people in the world by’ Time Magazine in September 2020.
More recently she made waves as she came out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community in January 2021 and revealed that she was in a relationship with Kylie Prew in February. She was later named on Fast Company’s Queer 50 list.
Last week it was announced that Siwa would make history as she is set to perform with a female professional dancer, marking the first same-sex partnership on the long-running show.
Loved up: More recently she made waves as she came out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community in January 2021 and revealed that she was in a relationship with Kylie Prew in February, they are seen together in Pasadena last week
Sunisa Lee, 18
Sunisa ‘Suni’ Lee – born Sunisa Phabsomphou – is an American artistic gymnast who recently became the 2020 Olympic all-around champion and also earned an uneven bars bronze.
She was also a member of teams which won gold at the 2019 World Championships and silver at the 2020 Olympic games.
Lee is a six-time member of the US women’s gymnastics team and is the first ever Hmong-American Olympian.
Incredible: Sunisa ‘Suni’ Lee – born Sunisa Phabsomphou – is an American artistic gymnast who recently became the 2020 Olympic all-around champion and also earned an uneven bars bronze, she is seen competing at the US Olympic trials in St Louis back in June
Family first: he was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota to healthcare worker Yeev Thoj who is a refugee that immigrated to the US from Laos as a child and was also raised by her longtime partner John Lee, as the family are seen together after the Olympics
She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota to healthcare worker Yeev Thoj who is a refugee that immigrated to the US from Laos as a child.
Lee was also raised by her longtime partner John Lee and later began using his surname professionally as a teenager. Suni has three half siblings Evionn, Lucky, and Noah, through her mother’s relationship with Lee, and Lee had two children, Jonah and Shyenne, from a previous relationship.
As Lee has won a total of 6 world championship and Olympic medals, She is tied with legends Gabby Douglas, Kim Zmeskal, Kyla Ross, and Rebecca Bross as the 9th most decorated American female gymnast.
Boss: Melora is best known for her role starring as Jan on the highly-popular sitcom The Office
Peace: Cody seen on the Peloton bike