Carlos PenaVega: Big Time Rush Singer Trying To Break Boy Band Curse On ‘Dancing With The Stars’

Carlos PenaVega will try to break the boy bad jinx on Dancing With The Stars, and he’ll have his wife by his side in doing it.

The Big Time Rush singer announced this week that he is joining the cast on season 21 of the dancing competition show, and he will be competing alongside (and against) his wife, actress Alexa. They will be the first married duo ever to compete on Dancing With The Stars, and for Carlos PenaVega the stakes will be a little bit higher.

The singer will join a long list of boy band singers who have competed on the show, and they largely have a track record of falling just short. The first boy band member ever to appear on the show — Drew Lachey of 98 Degrees, who competed in the second season back in 2006 — won it all, but every subsequent boy-bander has failed.

Boy band members and Olympians are common contestants on the show, but one has a much better track record than others. Olympic athletes have won three times — Apolo Anton Ohno in season 4, Kristi Yamaguchi in season 5, and Shawn Johnson in season 6 — but Lachey is the only boy band member to win.

Many others have come very close. Joey Fatone of N’SYNC was the next closest, finishing second in season 4. His bandmate, Lance Bass, also came close, finishing third in season 7.

Drew Lachey actually got a second chance, competing in the All-Star season but finishing 11th.

Carlos could have some help with his wife’s presence. The couple, who were married in January, 2014, said the plan to support each other during the process, even if they are technically competing against each other on the show.

“It’s so good, though, because he literally rehearses right next door,” Alexa told Entertainment Tonight. “So he’ll walk over to me and he’ll just give me a kiss. It’s just so encouraging. He is my teammate and my life partner, so I like that encouragement. I need it.”

Carlos added that the chance to compete alongside his wife was one of the main reasons he signed on.

“The opportunity to work with my wife was like kind of almost a number one because we love spending time together,” he said. “We’re almost two years married. It’s still fresh. I was like, ‘Babe, we got to do this’ and here we are.”

Carlos PenaVega won’t be the only boy band member trying to win it all on Dancing With The Stars this season. As Entertainment Weekly noted, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter is also among this year’s competitors.

[Image via Getty Images/Handout]