New ‘Dancing’ cast includes Baskin, Nelly
Listen up, all you cool cats and kittens: Carole Baskin is coming to “Dancing with the Stars.”
ABC on Wednesday announced its cast of celebrities for Season 29 of the ballroom competition and big-cat lover Baskin, who gained fame on the Netflix documentary “Tiger King,” will be part of the mix.
“The biggest thing for me is the longer my partner and I can stay in the running and in the competition it will keep the cats forefront in the viewer’s eye, and to me that was where ‘Tiger King’ missed the ball,” Baskin, an animal rights activist and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, said on “Good Morning America.”
“It really should have been focused on the animals and I’m hoping ‘Dancing with the Stars’ will do that. I am competitive but I am competitive with myself. I want to do the very best that I can possibly do.”
As “Tiger King” revealed to millions, Baskin was able to take down Joe Exotic. But can she take down her ballroom competition?
She’s among 15 celebrities who will bust some moves in a new-look season that will have Tyra Banks taking over as host. The cast also features several other personalities from the world of unscripted television, including San Jose native Jeannie Mai (“The Real”), Monica Aldama (the docuseries “Cheer”), Kaitlyn Bristowe (“The Bachelorette”), Nev Schulman (“Catfish”) and Chrishell Stause (“Selling Sunset”).
Others making the cut include Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean, former NFL player (and 49er) Vernon Davis, Jesse Metcalfe, Anne Heche, Skai Jackson, “One Day at a Time” actress Justina Machado, Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly, NBA superstar Charles Oakley and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir.
Davis, 36, was drafted by the 49ers in 2006 and played nine seasons for the Bay Area team at tight end. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos in 2015 and was a two-time Pro Bowler. Davis joins the cast just seven months after announcing his retirement from football.
Mai was born and raised in San Jose and attended Milpitas High School.
“Dancing with the Stars” returns at 8 p.m. Sept. 14 on ABC. Celebrity pairings will be revealed on the season premiere.