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‘Dancing with the’ Queen of Daytime

HOME / News / ‘Dancing with the’ Queen of Daytime

News

‘Dancing with the’ Queen of Daytime

Monday, August 25, 2008 8:42 AM EST | By Angela Rosa


(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Susan Lucci is due to find out the answer to that age old question: Is it more easy to win a snazzy disco ball trophy or a Daytime Emmy?

The internet web site Gossip Sauce announced the stars of the new season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” last week. On the morning of Monday, August 25, “Good Morning America” confirmed most of that list with the official announcement of the roster for the seventh season of the popular reality-competition series.

“All My Children’s” Susan Lucci, 61, will take on the torch of representing daytime television when the dance competition premieres this fall; she will be partnered with Tony Dovolani. After a rough start, “General Hospital” star Kelly Monaco was eventually crowned the champion on the inaugural season of “DWTS;” Lucci’s co-star Cameron Mathison finished the competition in fifth place in season five; former soap stars Lisa Rinna (NBC’s “Days of Our Lives”) and Mario Lopez (CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful”) also competed in the competition; Rinna finished in forth place in season two, while Lopez was runner-up to season three winner Emmitt Smith.

In the history of popular culture, it is likely that there will never come into existence an actor more synonymous with the medium of the daytime serial than “AMC’s” petite star. Thirty-eight years on the popular daytime serial, and a marriage or twelve for her alter ego Erica Kane, has contributed to Lucci’s fame, but it was eighteen Daytime Emmy nominations in the lead actress category, including an astounding streak of 14 consecutive nominations from 1980-1993, without a win that made her into a household name. Lucci’s streak made the Daytime Emmy’s must-see television through 1999, when Lucci finally took home the elusive award. During the losing streak, Lucci was invited to host NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” an impressive feat for a daytime actor. Lucci has appeared on numerous made for television movies, as a commercial spokesperson for many products including Ford automobiles, starred on Broadway and is also a successful businesswoman/entrepreneur.

The rest of season seven’s competitors include:

  • Film and television star, Cloris Leachman, 82. The oft-time comedic actress (“The Facts of Life” and “Malcolm in the Middle”) and legend has won eight Primetime Emmy’s, one Daytime Emmy and a measly Oscar as well. Leachman is the oldest star to ever compete on the dance show, Wayne Newton, 65, formerly held that distinction. Corky Ballas, father of Mark Ballas, will be Leachman’s dance partner.
  • Comedic actor Ted McGinley, 50. McGinley is best known for his stint on FOX’s raunchy comedy “Married with Children” where he played Jefferson D’Arcy from 1991-1997; he also played Charley Shanowski on the former ABC sitcom “Hope & Faith.” McGinley will be paired with “DWTS” newcomer Inna Braye.
  • Professional beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, 31, who just took home a gold medal with teammate, Kerri Walsh, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. May-Treanor is not used to defeat; she and Walsh have not lost a beach volleyball game in a whopping 103 matches. May-Treanor will dance with the sexy Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
  • Olympic champion sprinter Maurice Greene, 34. Greene earned two gold medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and a Silver and Bronze Medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Greene is paired with another two-time champion, Cheryl Burke.
  • 2003 Super Bowl champion, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Warren Sapp, 35. The retired football’s player talent and popularity earned him seven trips to the Pro Bowl. Sapp will dance with Kim Johnson.
  • Six-time Grammy Award winner Toni Braxton (“Un-Break My Heart”), 40. Recently, Braxton has been more recognizable for financial problems that led her to file for bankruptcy. Braxton will dance with Alex Mazo.
  • Lance Bass, 29, is the former bass singer of the pop boy band ‘N Sync. Bass came out of the closet as a homosexual in 2006. His former bandmate Joey Fatone was the runner-up on season four of “DWTS.” Bass teams up with Lacey Schwimmer.
  • Cody Linley, 18, is a young actor who is best known for his work on numerous Disney channel series. His most notable role is that of Jack Ryan on the Disney comedy “Hannah Montana.” Linley will dance with Julianne Hough.
  • Top celebrity chef and cookbook author Rocco DiSpirito, 41. In 2003 and 2004, the hot cook starred on his own reality series (“The Restaurant”) on NBC. DiSpirito will be paired with Karina Smirnoff.
  • Brooke Burke, 36, when not hitting the pages of popular lad mags “Maxim,” “Stuff” and “FHM” can typically be seen as a hosting personality (E’s “Wild On!” and CBS’s “Rock Star”). Burke is romantically linked to former “Baywatch” star David Charvet, the couple have two children together. Burke partners with Derek Hough.
  • Sex-tape star turned reality-show star, Kim Kardashian, 27, will fill the famous for no good reason void on season seven of the series. Kardashian will share the spotlight with dancer Mark Ballas.
  • Jeff Ross, 42, is a popular insult comic. While Ross probably won’t dazzle us with his dancing, audiences can likely look forward to some colorful exchanges between Ross and judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Edyta Sliwinska gets the honor of teaching Ross how to shake his bon-bon.

The new season of “DWTS” premieres on Monday, September 22 on ABC.

“All My Children” airs Weekdays on ABC. Weeknights on SOAPnet. Check local listings.


  • All My Children
  • Susan Lucci
  • AMC

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