Two ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Cast Members Anger Fans Ahead Of Season 24 Premiere
The Dancing with the Stars Season 24 cast won’t officially be announced until tomorrow morning, but the names of most of the celebrities who have signed on for the show have already been leaked. There’s usually a star or two who cause controversy on every season of DWTS, and there’s already been a strong negative response to two Season 24 cast members.
E! News recently added Glee actress Heather Morris and The Bachelor star Nick Viall to the list of celebrities joining Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, and fans aren’t exactly thrilled about these casting leaks. As Refinery 29 points out, Heather’s inclusion is problematic because she’s already a professional dancer.
Heather Morris’ talent is so great that she actually managed to score a gig as one of Beyoncé’s backup dancers. She also competed on Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance, and her dance experience helped her score the role of Brittany S. Pierce on Glee. According to Morris, she got the part because she taught other Glee cast members the “Single Ladies” dance.
Some Dancing with the Stars fans have taken to social media to cry foul over Heather Morris’ casting. They’re complaining that her dance experience gives her an unfair advantage over the other competitors, and some are even arguing that she’d be better cast as a pro.
“Wait. is Heather Morris joining #DWTS as a pro or a ‘newcomer’? would be pretty unfair if she wasn’t a pro???? she’s gonna slay them all,” tweeted @_JosephineS.
“Well its official Heather Morris is joining #DWTS this season how the heck do you compete against a frmr Beyonce Back up Dancer???????????????? wtf,” wrote @SamanthaHTown.
A few disappointed fans pointed to Heather’s Britney Spears tribute on Glee as evidence that her dance background is going to give her a major edge over the other celebrities.
While many Dancing with the Stars fans think that the Mirrorball Trophy already belongs to Heather Morris, dance experience doesn’t always equal a win for the show’s celebrity competitors. As Hollywood Life reports, Season 22 competitor Paige VanZant had 13 years of dance training. However, she and her pro partner, Mark Ballas, finished second behind model/actor Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd.
Still, so-called ringers do win. During an interview with Celebrity Bytes, Maksim Chmerkovskiy admitted his Season 18 partner, Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, was a “ringer,” but he saw nothing wrong with that because it felt like it was his “turn to get one.” According to PureDWTS, Chmerkovskiy’s Season 24 partner is Heather Morris.
Luckily for Maks and Heather, Nick Viall is the Season 24 Dancing with the Stars cast member who has been the target of the most Twitter vitriol. Many Bachelor Nation fans have slammed the decision to cast Nick on DWTS because they’re simply sick of seeing him on TV after his appearances on The Bachelor, two seasons of The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise.
“@DancingABC #DWTS SERIOUSLY…. Nick Viall, WHY???? BOOOOOOO????#SickOfNickViall,” tweeted @TriciaG64.
“GET HIM OFF OF MY TELEVISION SCREENS, DAMNIT!!!!!! I can’t handle Nick Viall being on #DWTS. Fame whore. Enough is enough. GET A REAL JOB,” @mistrel123 wrote.
“I just can’t believe I have to STILL see Nick on my TV screen even after a woman finally says ‘yes’ to his proposal #DWTS #TheBachelor,” @danceislife22 tweeted.
Nick Viall’s partner will reportedly be Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Peta Murgatroyd. The last Bachelor star to compete on Dancing with the Stars was Chris Soules. He finished fifth on Season 20, and his relationship with Whitney Bischoff fell apart soon after the season ended.
Other celebrities who have been confirmed for Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars include Fifth Harmony member Normani Kordei, professional bull rider Bonner Bolton, The A-Team star Mr. T, actress/flamenco guitarist Charo, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.
The complete cast will be announced March 1 on Good Morning America, and Dancing with the Stars Season 24 will premiere March 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Do you agree with the DWTS fans who are upset with the casting of Heather Morris and Nick Viall, or are you looking forward to seeing the two controversial stars hit the dance floor?
[Featured Image by Brad Barket/Getty Images]