“Dancing With the Stars” contestants rated
On Monday night, ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” kicked off its 25th season with 13 new celebrity competitors; lots of sparkly costumes; and a few gimmicks, including a married couple competing against each other. We ranked all the contestants from best to worst:
1) judge scores: 7, 6, 6 for a total of 19 out of 30 points) Age: 22
Best known as: ESPN host and former swimmer who won a gold medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Story line: It’s unbelievably inspiring — at age 11, she slipped into a vegetative state for four years. After she turned 15, she started to recover, but spent a decade in a wheelchair. She started walking again about 18 months ago, and she still doesn’t any feeling in her legs. As she explains, it’s like dancing while blindfolded — she has no idea what her lower half is doing, and puts all her trust in Val.
E2) scores: 8, 7, 7 = 22) Age: 23
Best known as: The Disney and Broadway actor who also starred in two roles in “Hamilton.”
Story line: He loves a challenge — can his competitive nature help Arnold earn her first “DWTS” mirror ball trophy?
3) judge score: 7, 8, 7 = 22) Age: 30
Best known as: Electronic violonist and YouTube sensation.
Story line: She’s performed on the show several times as a violinist —
Ecan she triumph as a dancer?
4) scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18) Age: 43
Best known as: The NBA star who played 18 seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Story line: In the past, basketball players haven’t done very well on the show — can Derek change that?
5)
(cha cha, judge scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21) Age: 36
Best known as: Actress and TV personality from MTV’s “Total Request Live.”
Story line: She’s a mom. She has three kids. Did we mention she’s a mom? This comes up many times in her intro package, as Vanessa’s narrative is that she’s usually so focused on her kids that she wants to do something purely for herself.
6) judge scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18) Age: 43
Best known as: Member of ’90s boy band 98 Degrees, reality star from “Newlyweds.”
Story line: People assume he can dance because of his boy band roots; in fact, dancing terrifies him. So he wants to try something new. Oh, and he’s competing against his wife, Vanessa Lachey.
7) scores: 5, 5, 5 = 15) Age: 43
Best known as: “T.O.,” the NFL wide receiver who played for the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, among others.
Story line: While he’s known for his celebrations on the football field, he says his confidence is often mistaken for arrogance.
8) Sasha Pieterse/Gleb Savchenko (cha cha , judge score: 6, 6, 6 = 18) Age: 21
Best known as: One of the stars of Freeform’s “Pretty Little Liars”; she played Alison, a scary teen sociopath in a show full of them.
Story line: She says she’s trying to get in shape for her upcoming wedding.
9) judge scores: 7, 6, 6 = 19) Age: 31
Best known as: Malcolm, the gifted teen in a family of weirdos on Fox’s early 2000s comedy “Malcolm in the Middle.”
Story line: He’s very nervous, because he’s not really a dancer, and may face some challenges after a back injury from his gig as a racecar driver.
10) scores: 7, 7, 6 = 20) Age: 33
Best known as: The WWE wrestler, model and actress who is also engaged to wrestler John Cena.
Story line: She’s completely out of her comfort zone. “I’m used to body slamming girls for a living,” she explains.
11) Debbie Gibson/Alan Bersten (fox trot, judge scores: 6, 5, 6 = 17) Age: 47
Best known as: An ’80s pop icon known for hits such as “Shake Your Love and “Lost in Your Eyes.”
Story line: Four years ago, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which causes a lot of muscle pain and other unpredictable symptoms.
12) Drew Scott/Emma Slater (fox trot, judge scores: 6, 5, 5 = 16) Age: 39
Best known as: One half of HGTV’s “Property Brothers,” the renovation show he hosts with his brother, Jonathan.
Story line: He claims he can’t dance — Jonathan confirms that he saw Drew at their high school prom, and he has no moves.
13) scores: 5, 4, 5 = 14) Age: 68
Best known as: A real estate mogul and one of the investors/sharks on “Shark Tank.”
Story line: Barbara says she’s always competed against men in her career, so it will be very different competing against so many women.