"Dancing with the Stars" casting rumours indicate that swimmer Ryan Lochte has signed on to compete in the upcoming season of the dancing reality show.
Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, is currently embroiled in a scandal for claiming that he and three of his teammates were held at gunpoint by men with badges in Rio. On Monday he was dropped by four sponsors, and rumours indicate that he has agreed to be on the show to improve his image and brand.
However, earlier reports indicated that "Dancing with the Stars" producers weren't too keen on Lochte due to the ongoing scandal. "The controversy happened in Rio and they have taken the offer off the table," a source told HollywoodLife.
The other rumoured celebrity competitors include "The Bachelorette" star JoJo Fletcher, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice, "General Hospital" actress Emma Samms, model and actress Amber Rose, and "The Fosters" star Jake T. Austin.
"All the rumors are true for JoJo, Jake and Emma," an insider told HollywoodLife. "They have all been asked and are doing the show." However, a representative for ABC declined to confirm the news, saying, "we never comment on rumor or speculation."
As for the professional dancers who will be taking part in Season 23, ABC announced that Val Chmerkovskiy, Witney Carson, Sharna Burgess, Artem Chigvintsev, Lindsay Arnold, Allison Holker, Sasha Farber and Gleb Savchenko will be returning. Val's brother Maksim is also rumoured to be a part of Season 23. However, Maksim's fiancée Peta Murgatroyd, who is pregnant with their son, will sit out Season 23.
Murgatroyd and her dancing partner Nyle DiMarco were the winners of Season 22 of "Dancing with the Stars."
ABC will announce the official cast for Season 23 of "Dancing with the Stars" on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The dancing reality show will begin on Monday, Sept 12 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
