Source Claims Dancing With The Stars Will Undergo “Some Casting Changes” Ahead Of Season 17
Last night, fans watched as Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough took home the mirrorball trophy on season 16 of Dancing With The Stars. While they embark on their celebratory press tour, contract negotiations are already underway back in Los Angeles. The contracts of all three judges including Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli have expired and so have the contracts of some of the dancers. So, who will return and who has danced their last dance?
“No one has a confirmed contract yet,” a show insider told The New York Post last night, just hours after the finale aired. “I think Bruno [Tonioli] will be back, but Carrie Ann [Inaba] and Len [Goodman] are probably gone. The network has been very evasive about it.”
The Post also reported that Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, and Cheryl Burke are unlikely to return. Derek and his sister Julianne Hough are set to develop their own scripted series on Starz which will spotlight the behind-the-scenes world of ballroom dancing and Mark is in talks for his own reality show.
“[The producers] will use this time to figure out how to restructure the show and trim fat off the budget,” the insider says, adding. “The show has become too expensive.”
Still, another source insists that nothing is certain when it comes to season 17 — at least not yet. “It’s true no one is locked in under contract yet, but that’s not necessarily unusual at this stage,” the source tells E! News. “Nothing has been decided yet about next season. There definitely will be format changes and it’s possible there may be some casting changes but those discussions are just beginning.”