Dancing with the Stars 2: Season Two Featuring Bigger Names, Bigger Stakes!

There was a fair amount of snickering when Dancing With the Stars began it’s promotional push last spring. I mean, really, who wants to see Evander Holyfield trying to foxtrot? Apparently, millions and millions of us!

Now, the hit that no one saw coming is coming back with bigger names on January 5, 2006. And, just who are the dancing stars this time around?

• Jerry Rice – NFL Hall of Famer; widely held as the greatest wide receiver of all time. Holder of so many NFL records that its silly to try to count them. Freshly retired after failing to make the Denver Broncos squad in August 2005. Many figured he was more likely to be in a broadcast booth than a dance studio, but here we are!
• Drew Lachey – brother of Nick Lachey, former member of 98 Degrees, soon to be former brother-in-law of Jessica Simpson. Appeared several times in The Newlyweds and is known for being Nick’s comic foil. Eager to get out of Nick’s shadow… what there is of it.
• Tatum O’Neal – won an Outstanding Supporting Actress Oscar for Paper Moon at the age of 10! Daughter of Ryan O’Neal, and ex-wife of tennis ace John McEnroe. Career has cooled considerably, but when you win an Oscar at 10, where else do you go?
• George Hamilton – the Eternally Tanned One, starred opposite Natalie Wood in All the Fine Young Cannibals, and had starring roles in The Godfather III, Love At First Bite and Zorro the Gay Blade. Ex-wife Alana Hamilton Stewart (I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here) dumped him for Rod Stewart (she believes in keeping the names). His appearance here suggests he may finally be out of sunscreen.
• Kenny Mayne – current ESPN personality and eccentric personality. Known for his famous calls during sports clips, shouting “yahtzee” for home runs, and referring to the San Diego Padres as “the Fathers.” What many don’t know is that he was a standout quarterback for UNLV and signed with the Seattle Seahawks for a season. May have one of the greatest deadpan deliveries ever.
• Stacy Kiebler – WWE starlet, known for her loooong legs and dazzling smile. A former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader who won a contest to be a Nitro Girl in WCW, which led to ringside roles Alexandra York and Ms. Hancock. Ultimately, those long legs and short skirts transcended character names and she was just Stacey Kiebler. Crowned Miss Galaxy in 1998, Stacey rose to even greater fame when WWE gobbled up WCW. She in a skimpy ballgown will make you forget all about Kelly Monaco.
• Lisa Rinna – as well known for her long stint on Days of Our Lives as she is for being the current Mrs. Harry Hamlin. Big, bubbly smile and that kicky short haircut makes the Veronica Mars star a natural for the ballroom set. Lisa’s done plenty of nighttime work as well, including roles on Melrose Place, the host of Soap Talk, and a correspondent on Robot Wars. Call her “diverse.”
• Tia Carrere – perhaps best known for her work on Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2, she’s appeared in True Lies, Kull the Conquerer, and yes, as Pauly Shore’s love interest in Jury Duty. She also had a bona fide MTV hit with “Ballroom Blitz.” She’s also been the voice of Nani in Lilo and Stitch for many years now.
• Giselle Fernandez – the beautiful Emmy-winning journalist from Mexico City will also be tripping the light fantastic. Giselle is an original host of Access Hollywood. She’s also making a small fortune in movies appearing as… a television reporter, of course.
• Romeo – formerly Lil’ Romeo, but still the son of rapper Master P. He’s only a teenager, but he does make the 12-year-olds scream something fierce. Old P had his kid touring like a Motown act in the ‘60s for most of his adolescent life, so Romeo is no stranger to a stage, or to dancing. He may the one to watch.

Also new is Dancing With the Stars 2’s schedule. The shows are expected to be 90 minutes each Thursday, with an additional half-hour results show on Friday nights. How Idol of them!

ABC is banking on success with Dancing With the Stars 2, even ramping up the cost of advertising at close to double what it was in the first season. Can that lightning strike twice? Will there be another O’Hurley/Monaco rivalry? Stay tuned.

Sting7 has been a respected published writer for many years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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