Of all the stories that I cover, "Dancing With The Stars" is one of my favorites.
Tonight, I headed to the CBS Studios on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles to meet the new cast members and watch them strut their stuff on the dance floor.
I took my dad with me and he just wanted to meet Laila Ali, world champion female boxer and daughter of The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.
Billy Ray Cyrus was being cheered on by his proud daughter, star of “Hannah Montana,” who sat in the front row.
It was my first time ever meeting NBA Champ Clyde Drexler who kept grabbing my microphone when I'd ask him a question on the red carpet.
Joey Fatone has to be one of the funniest and friendliest guys I've met. As one of the stars of *NSYNC, he's learned to be light on his feet and should do pretty well with voters.
Although, Ian Ziering of “Beverly Hills 90210” fame is quite a charmer also and has some competition with Olympic heartthrob Apolo Anton Ohno.
Leeza Gibbons told me she will be celebrating her 50th birthday by doing a special dance on the show.
John Ratzenberger of “Cheers” and Miss USA Shandi Finnessey will be adding spunk and glamor to the group this season.
Now, I saved the best for last. Heather Mills. There's been so much talk about how people will respond to her. Will she get the sympathy vote or will there be a backlash? I told Heather that all of the co-stars on “Dancing With The Stars” feel that she is someone with a lot of courage and guts to get out on the floor with a prosthetic leg and in the midst of all the media scrutiny. Heather told me she's very happy to have to the opportunity to be a part of the show however, getting into the States was very chaotic. There was a crush of photographers waiting for her just as she got off the plane and she actually had to send her daughter on another flight so she would not risk injury. She told me that it was very disturbing to her however, she knows that it's just the type of attention that she's going to have to get use to. Heather also told me that she is studying for her PhD in nutrition and has been preparing healthy foods for her dancing partner that they can snack on. Dr. Mills, I presume?
