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Dancing with the Stars 4

Heather Mills cast for Dancing with the Stars because of a false rumor that she’d been cast

by Andy Dehnart 14 Oct. 2007 | 2:27 pm

A false rumor in a British tabloid resulted in Dancing with the Stars‘s producers casting Heather Mills for the show’s fourth season.

That revelation comes in the new book, creatively titled Dancing with the Stars: Jive, Samba, and Tango Your Way into the Best Shape of Your Life. About half the book features detailed “fitness routines” for dancing, while the other half runs down all of the dances the show has ever featured, detailing the costumes, the technique, the judges’ comments, and the music used. There’s also a comprehensive list of every dance performed on every episode of the show’s first four seasons, complete with scores.

In the book, executive producer Conrad Green says that the rumor about Heather Mills’ casting led them to pursue her as a possible celebrity. “We read a false story in a British tabloid … that got us thinking that she would be a great story, and really inspiring to watch. [… W]e put out an offer and were astonished when she said yes. … Sometimes the tail does wag the dog!”

In the overview of the series’ history, which comprise the book’s introductory pages, Green also says that potential celebrities would only be excluded from consideration if they’d had “extensive” ballroom dancing lessons. “Often entertainers have had some dance training in their careers but only if they have had extensive training in the dances we use on the show would we consider it unfair for them to enter the competition.”

Dancing with the Stars: Jive, Samba, and Tango Your Way into the Best Shape of Your Life [Amazon]

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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