‘Tiger King’s’ Carole Baskin says ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is scarier than the big cats
This ought to be an interesting season for “Dancing With the Stars.”
Season 29 has so much going on: Coronavirus concerns. A new host. And of course, a mismatched medley of guests.
When Tyra Banks takes over for recently ousted hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, the supermodel will be presiding over a socially distanced dance floor.
The Florida twist: “Tiger King’s” Carole Baskin is one of the stars.
The big-cat rights activist had early quarantiners transfixed in the Netflix docuseries: Baskin, who is the owner of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, famously feuded with zoo owner Joe Exotic, who is currently behind bars for attempting to hire a hitman to kill her.
ABC announced live on “Good Morning America” Wednesday that Baskin will compete in the ABC celebrity dancing competition, set to air 8 p.m. Sept. 14.
The 59-year-old animal lover says she’s nervous and would rather be dealing with lions and tigers than learning the foxtrot.
“Apex predators they are a whole lot less scary than getting out there on the dance floor,” she says in the promo clip for the show.
If she was also scared of contracting coronavirus, Baskin didn’t say.
Earlier this summer, Banks acknowledged the crazy times in which we are living in, and “DWTS” will reflect that.
“It is going to be so next level,” the TV personality told “Good Morning America” in July. “We’re doing all this crazy stuff, taking it into the next level, but still keeping the stuff that we know America loves. But you need to get ready because it’s going to be different.”
Different likely means more cautious.
Former “DWTS” dancer Lindsay Arnold dished to ex dance partner Sean Spicer what she knew about production tweaks ABC was making in the COVID-19 era.
Beside having no live audience, and constant hand-washing, the cast and crew will be following other CDC guidelines, but social distancing will be tough.
“I don’t think they’re going to make them dance six feet apart. If that were the case, I don’t think the show would be happening,” Arnold told the former White House press secretary on his podcast. “At the same time, I truly believe that it’s going to change every week. I could see maybe the first week being no audience and then hopefully, maybe by the end, depending on how things evolve and change … I think it’s literally going to be a day-by-day process.”
Other celeb performing in the show include “Backstreet Boys” member AJ McLean, Netflix’s “Cheer” head coach Monica Aldama, “Bachelorette” star Kaitlyn Bristowe, Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis, Disney Channel star Skai Jackson, “Catfish” host Nev Schulman, NBA player Charles Oakley, actress Anne Heche, “The Real” host Jeannie Mai, and “Selling Sunset” real estate agent Chrishell Stause
