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The cast of the 33rd season of “DWTS” consists of Anna Delvey, Tori Spelling and Jenn Tran

By Hudson Brooklyn
The cast of the 33rd season of “DWTS” consists of Anna Delvey, Tori Spelling and Jenn Tran

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Former “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress Tori Spelling and Olympic rugby sensation Ilona Maher, the viral star who helped lead the U.S. women’s team to a historic bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Paris, are joining the 33rd season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Spelling, 51, and Maher, 28, will compete in the reality ballroom dancing competition against a host of celebrities, including “Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei, shocked “Bachelorette” star Jenn Tran, former NBA star Dwight Howard, two-time Super Bowl winner and wide receiver Danny Amendola, Oscar-nominated actor Eric Roberts (brother of Julia and father of Emma) and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Phaedra Creonta Parks.

ABC also confirmed that convicted Manhattan con artist Anna Delvey, aka Anna Sorokin, who is the real-life subject of the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” will also participate. Olympic gymnast Steve “The Pommel Horse Guy” Nedoroscik has already been announced for the “DWTS” season, which begins Sept. 17 (8 EDT/PDT).

“Guy on the pommel horse” Stephen Nedoroscik Participates in season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars”

US Olympic rugby star and TikTok sensation Ilona Maher wants to win a medal with “DWTS”

What a month it's been for Maher, who rose to superstardom during the Paris Games, playing for the U.S. women's rugby team and documenting her life in viral TikTok videos (2.3 million followers). Her life now includes posing as a cover model for Sports Illustrated's September swimsuit issue and competing on “DWTS.”

“It's almost like a cool rite of passage,” Maher tells USA TODAY. “So many of my Olympic idols, ffrom Simone Biles to Suni Lee, have done 'Dancing'. And it's a new skill that's taken me out of my comfort zone.”

The sportswoman, who works with professional dancer Alan Bersten, admits that ballroom dancing on a national stage is intimidating. Just the thought of the long hours of training and performing in front of a live audience can be “overwhelming,” she says. Maher has no formal dance training and few of the skills required can be carried over from the rigors of rugby.

“Rugby is often about hitting with full force and throwing your body at your opponent, so we'll see how I can move my body here,” Maher says. “And my dancing skills, I think, aren't really up to par. My dancing-with-my-friends vibe is OK, my ballroom dancing vibe is zero. Hopefully I can transfer the 'having fun with my friends' vibe to this ballroom dancing.”

Maher is used to wearing sweat- and dirt-stained uniforms on the rugby battlefield and is particularly fond of the extravagant “DWTS” outfits.

“Glitz and glamour are such a big part of it and I love dressing up,” says Maher. “It's going to be really fun to wear more glitter and sequins.”

For Tori Spelling it was a “crazy journey” to “DWTS”

Spelling turned down an offer to appear in the very first season of “DWTS” in 2005 and has turned down every season since then.

“It was a crazy journey because for 32 seasons they called and I said no,” says Spelling.

Her reason was always her overwhelming fear of dancing on national television, and it got even worse when she sat in the studio audience cheering on her former “90210” co-stars Ian Ziering (season 4) and Jennie Garth (season 5). “Those two experiences made me even more afraid, and also how exhausting it all was,” Spelling says.

But after enduring health problems, money worries and estrangement from husband Dean McDermott, the mother of five says she wants to make a fresh start after her 50th birthday (she filed for divorce from McDermott in March).

“They say that after 50, you start a new chapter. And my life this past year is definitely a new me,” says Spelling. “Timing is everything. So when the call came this year, it was time to check my gut. It still scares me. But I have to let go of that fear.”

Throughout her television career, Spelling had no formal dance training but often posted hilarious performances on TikTok. Another “DWTS” obstacle may be that she avoided any physical training for a long time.

“I don't work out; I don't come here with any kind of physical exertion,” Spelling says. “I'm the girl who drives around the Target parking lot looking for the closest parking spot to the store. And yet I was out of breath shopping for school.”

Spelling confided her fears and her “DWTS” casting secret to two friends, namely “90210” alumnus Brian Austin Green, who appeared on the 30th season of “DWTS” with his partner, professional dancer Sharna Burgess.

“I explained my limitations to them,” says Spelling. “And they gave me some really good advice.”

The conversation was helpful, but not enough to give Spelling the confidence to take home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after two rehearsals with her professional partner Pasha Pashkov.

“Honestly, I just want to get through the first week,” Spelling says. “But I'm finding through this process that I'm really strong and really competitive, especially with myself. I'm not a quitter. I'm a fighter. I fight through everything and keep going.”

Meet the cast of the 2024 DWTS season

  • Convicted con artist Anna Delvey with her new professional dancer Ezra Sosa
  • Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooks Nader with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko
  • “ZOMBIE” actress Chandler Kinney with professional dancer Brandon Armstrong
  • Former NFL player Danny Amendola and professional dancer Witney Carson
  • Former NBA star Dwight Howard and professional dancer Daniella Karagach
  • Actor Eric Roberts with professional dancer Britt Stewart
  • Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher with professional dancer Alan Bersten
  • “The Bachelor” Joey Graziadel and professional dancer Jenna Johnson
  • “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Phaedra Parks with professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy
  • Actor Reginald VelJohnson with professional dancer Emma Slater
  • Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik with professional dancer Rylee Arnold
  • Actress Tori Spelling with professional dancer Pasha Pashkov
  • “The Bachelorette” Jenn Tran with professional partner Sasha Farber

Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough will return as “DWTS” judges, while Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough will serve as hosts.

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