ABC followed up Monday night’s Dancing With the Stars‘ Season 13 cast announcement by revealing celebs’ dance-pro partners on Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning America. Now that we know who’s hoofin’ with who, it’s time to put some odds on these couples’ chances to take home the Season 13 mirror ball trophy, ranking their potential from Michael Bolton self-immolation to Drew Lachey invincibility. Without further ado…
Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus | Wild-eyed cable hostess who made recent headlines for her raging obsession with the Casey Anthony trial doesn’t immediately present as the embodiment of ballroom elegance. The fact that she’s paired with first-time pro MacManus (formerly a member of the DWTS Troupe) may not help her in the vote-getting department, either. ODDS: 30-1
Chynna Phillips and Tony Dovolani | Musical nostalgia is a powerful thing, but Phillips seems somehow less suited to the weird and wonderful DWTS dreamscape than, say, a Debbie Gibson or a Jordan Knight. Will she fill the slightly stiff, “elegant” lady role, or is there a fleet-footed dancing queen under her exterior, ready to hold on for one more day? ODDS: 25-1
J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff | The Iraq war vet and cast member of soon-to-conclude All My Children certainly has a compelling backstory — while serving as a U.S. army infantryman in 2003, his Humvee hit a land mine and he suffered severe burns to more than 40 percent of his body — but “soap star” and “model” are sometimes code words for “cannon fodder” in the DWTS universe. He’ll need to quickly impress the judges and quickly connect with the viewing audience to avoid an early exit. ODDS: 20-1
Elisabetta Canalis and Val Chmerkovskiy | I’m not the only one who chuckled when Canalis wasn’t introduced as “George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend” during ABC’s cast-announcement special, right? OK, yeah, she was on Leverage for a minute, but little-known beauties like Josie Maran and Petra Nemcova failed to go far in previous seasons. Drawing the lesser-known Chmerkovskiy — Val has appeared in a number of DWTS routines, but never as a full-fledged pro — may not result in a huge built-in voting bloc, either. ODDS: 20-1
Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer | The transgender activist is certainly one of the more intriguing personalities to grace the DWTS stage, and Bono’s inclusion in the Season 13 cast has drawn applause from GLAAD. Still, previous fuller-figured contestants have struggled with DWTS‘ grueling pace, and that could spell trouble as the choreography grows more difficult each week. Immediate bonus points, though, if mama Cher shows up in the ballroom audience. ODDS: 15-1
Carson Kressley and Anna Trebunskaya | Expect plenty of wacky props and costumes from the leading contender for Season 13 Class-Clown Couple. Hard to imagine The Dapper Mr. Kressley will hoof his way into the holiday season, but a mid-pack finish could be possible on personality alone. ODDS: 12-1
Kristin Cavallari and Mark Ballas | She could very easily be eliminated in the first two weeks, but young, good-looking, and relatively unknown contestants (see: Joanna Krupa, Audrina Patridge) can quickly overcome lack of audience recognition when they’re paired with first-rate pros. I mean, did anyone care about Chelsea Kane heading into Season 12? Still, the icky-cocky Ballas seems kind of overdue for a mid-season exit — especially now that judges’ pet Derek is back in the mix. ODDS: 10-1
Ron Artest and Peta Murgatroyd | Probably a good idea that he’s competing as Ron Artest (and not “Metta World Peace”), and while he’s maybe not as warm and fuzzy as pro-athlete DWTS champs like Hines Ward or Apolo Anton Ohno, he’s certainly not going to be boring, either. Willingness to flash abs during DWTS cast-announcement special shows he’ll be OK with costume department’s sheer shirts and plunging necklines. Neophyte pro partner (a former DWTS Troupe member) is an unknown quantity. ODDS: 8-1
Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke | Like Cavallari, the lesser-known Kardashian could very easily be cut in the first two weeks, but young, good-looking, and relatively unknown contestants can quickly overcome lack of audience recognition when they’re paired with first-rate pros. ODDS: 6-1
David Arquette and Kym Johnson | Arquette is a polarizing presence, but he’s arguably the biggest name in the Season 13 cast, and actors tend to have an innate awareness of their bodies and an inner rhythm that can sometimes elude reality stars and “average people” (see Kate Gosselin, Bristol Palin). Plus, he’s paired with DWTS delightful stealth weapon Kym Johnson, which can only help him win over fans. ODDS: 4-1
Ricki Lake and Derek Hough | Whether or not the judges’ fawning over Derek fills you with rage, there’s no denying he’s one of the show’s most astute choreographers. And there are certainly parallels between Lake (who broke through with a dancing role in Hairspray) and Season 11 champ Jennifer Grey (who broke through with a dancing role in Dirty Dancing). ODDS: 5-2
Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy | A wildly popular (and undeniably attractive) athlete at peak fitness paired with the torso-baring badboy of the dance floor? Almost guaranteed a spot in the finale — even if she never changes out of her cleets. ODDS: 2-1
This article was written by Michael Slezak.
Link to the original article, which includes a poll:'Dancing With the Stars' Season 13 Couples: Their Odds of Winning - TVLine
