Dancing With The Stars 2011 Cast Announced: Season 12 Participants Confirmed

Off the sidelines and back on the floor -- the 12th season cast of "Dancing With The Stars" has been announced.

ABC, which announced the cast during Monday night's episode of "The Bachelor," avoided any political drama -- unlike last season's casting of Bristol Palin, or the rumored approach to Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell -- but that doesn't mean the cast was devoid of big names -- it's one of the brightest groups yet.

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard will look to apply his sweet steps to the dance floor, as will fleet footed Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. TV host Wendy Williams and Kirstie Alley, along with Kendra Wilkinson of the E! shows "The Girls Next Door" and "Kendra," will lead the ladies in the field.

Here's the group that will vie for the mirrorball trophy.

Cast:
Wendy Williams
Sugar Ray Leonard
Kirstie Alley
Ralph Macchio
Kendra Wilkinson
Chelsea Kane
Romeo
Mike Catherwood
Hines Ward
Chris Jericho
Petra Nemcova

Comments

[Hurloon]

05:19 PM on 03/02/2011

Macchio looks to have a leg up on the competition. I saw him as J. Pierpont Finch in an off-Broadway tour of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He's good. No crane technique required. He knows how to sand floor.

[gettymuse]

02:17 PM on 03/02/2011

Awe, this actress Kristie never lets anything stop her dreams, and she is an example of how to keep a career going no matter what you look like and how fast or slow you decide to change that. She is an expert at starting things and changing herself, and yet this is just another thing I am amazed to hear from her career. I wish her all the luck and I hope she get Patrick Demsey to dance with her. I hope she stops now as the most self-innovative star, and understands how perfect she is at reinventing herself. I think she's won already.

[tinaterrific]

10:36 AM on 03/02/2011

Ralph Macchio's partner had better somehow work in the Crane kick into their choreography. At least throw us some wax on / wax off action. Maybe one of his dance costumes could be a shower stall?
I hope DWTS are reading ... it's gold, I tell you. Pure gold.

[katcrap]

09:56 AM on 03/02/2011

Dancing with the Star caused harm to the show last season by allowing it to become political.
The judges were so unfair to the others when it came to Bristol Palin.
Also, a lot of people are stil complaining that they could not place a call for their favorites.
Even Brandi's mother stated, when she called the recorder said, 'tks for calling for Mark & Bristol

[Supersteel]

06:51 AM on 03/02/2011

Weak cast. Ratings won't be as strong without the  Palin (pro and against) obsession. I dount thre HP, for example, will do 20 articles on it a week ;)

[Oscar Nunez]

06:43 AM on 03/02/2011

GO KENDRA< GO KENDRA!!

[OnTopicOffTopic]

05:29 AM on 03/02/2011

Kirstie?

ReallY?

[SDH283]

11:00 AM on 03/02/2011

Sure, why not?

[omobob]

12:15 AM on 03/02/2011

Two words: plummeting ratings.

[Grace Hulbert]

11:15 PM on 03/01/2011

Hines Ward = Whines Hard

Go Sugar Ray!

[Berkeleylefty]

10:35 PM on 03/01/2011

Can't wait to miss it...

[Zibop]

03:55 PM on 03/02/2011

Ditto

[Politix as Usual]

10:23 PM on 03/01/2011

With all the real drama going on in the world.....WHO THE HELL CARES about Dancing with the crappy stars!!!!!!!

[Mahi Joe]

09:26 AM on 03/02/2011

Who cares? Probably the same people who watch Jersey Shores.

[llstudent]

09:52 PM on 03/01/2011

Can you say boringggggggggggggggggggggggg, i won't be watching this one.

[Andrew FingerlickingGree]

09:01 PM on 03/01/2011

The "Stars" get less and less known with each season.

Dancing with the Non-Stars

[birdlady5]

08:56 PM on 03/01/2011

Well - interesting I guess. Wendy Williams? Really? She's so annoying!
Can't wait to see Hines Ward in the tight, tight pants!!!!!

[Andrew FingerlickingGree]

09:01 PM on 03/01/2011

#TeamWendy

[logic63]

08:55 PM on 03/01/2011

DWTS screwed the pooch when they had delay on and have gone downhill ever since. It used to be fun to watch but no more.

[SDH283]

10:54 AM on 03/02/2011

That's pretty much when I quit watching it too.