Team Ariana! Ariana Madix officially joins ‘Dancing With the Stars’ post-Scandoval
#TeamAriana fans can rally behind Ariana Madix once more, this time in her pursuit of the coveted Mirrorball trophy on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.â€
Because there’s nothing like ballroom dancing to get a person over a traumatic breakup. Or execute a 10/10 redemption arc.
Confirming rumors Friday, the “Vanderpump Rules†star appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America†with judge Derek Hough. The announcement follows months of tumult stemming from the so-called Scandoval drama that rocked the Bravo reality series.
“Say goodbye to the drama and hello to the dance floor,†Hough said in the pre-recorded segment after Madix announced her participation in Season 32.
The duo did not further mention Madix’s breakup with TomTom restaurateur Tom Sandoval, who cheated on her with their costar Raquel Leviss and blew up their nearly nine-year relationship that had been long documented on the show. The explosive affair consumed viewers of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills†spinoff series for weeks, prompting Madix’s fans and even casual viewers to rally behind the “Dads†and “Anger Management†actor.
What you need to know about the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cheating scandal in time for the Season 10 finale and reunion.
The Times confirmed in May that Madix would be joining the once mighty, long-running dance competition series, which has become something of a comeback platform for many celebrities and athletes at various ebbs and flows in their careers.
Since the scandal and its scorched-earth three-part televised reunion, Madix has landed a role in a Lifetime movie and a bevy of promotional deals with the likes of Bloomingdale’s and Bic razors. The reality star got her start in CollegeHumor videos, was co-author of “Fancy AF Cocktails: Drink Recipes from a Couple of Professional Drinkers†with her ex in 2019 and is launching a sandwich shop with her “Vanderpump Rules†costar Katie Maloney.
The 38-year-old is the first member of the new “Dancing With the Stars†cast to be revealed and her professional dance partner has not yet been announced. The full cast will be unveiled on “Good Morning America†on Sept. 13. (Fingers crossed that Sandoval or Leviss are among the contestants.)
The ballroom dance competition will premiere this fall and will return to the broadcast network after chasséing over to sister streamer Disney+ for one season. News of the series’ homecoming came in May, shortly after the Writers Guild of America launched a strike over streaming pay in Hollywood.
The series will be simulcast on ABC and Disney+ and will be available the next day on Hulu.
The show will also resume without its veteran head judge Len Goodman, who died in April at age 78 after being diagnosed with bone cancer. Goodman, who had been with the series since 2005 and judged its British predecessor “Strictly Come Dancing,†retired from the series in November.
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