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Dancing with the Stars 11 cast confirmed

On Dancing with the Stars now you can be famous for simply partnering the famous.

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Seven last night confirmed the next cast for the 11th series of Dancing with the Stars.

And while there are names that will attract the kind of publicity the show likes to seek (Lara Bingle, Brynne Edelsten), there are others who are a long way from the original premise of being a “star.”

One contestant, Haley Bracken, is dubbed a “Red Carpet sensation.” Now you can be famous for simply partnering the famous. Bracken is the wife of Australian cricketer Nathan Bracken who is also competing.

Seven is yet to announce an airdate.

Lara Bingle – dancing with Carmelo Pizzino
With a natural beauty and modern style, Lara Bingle is undoubtedly one of Australia’s best known models. In 2006, she shot to fame after being chosen as the face of Tourism Australia’s “Where The Bloody Hell Are You?” international advertising campaign. At only 23 years of age, the “Cronulla beach babe” has had an amazing career to date.

Manu Feildel – dancing with Alana Patience
Manu has become one of the most popular new personalities on Australian television as co-host and judge on Channel Seven’s hit series My Kitchen Rules. As a child, he saw his future on the stage rather than in the kitchen and joined a circus school to become a professional clown. However, at 15 he decided that the circus was not for him and became an apprentice chef in his father’s restaurant. He’s gone on to become a successful three-hatted chef and this year released his first cook book.

Brynne Edelsten – dancing with Arsen Kishishian
Social superstar Brynne grew up in Arizona. She was an advanced student and attended a school for gifted children. Brynne left college to pursue a modeling career in Los Angeles. In 2008 she met flamboyant Australian Professor Geoffrey Edelsten. After a whirlwind romance, they married in an extravagant wedding in November 2009.

Damien Leith – dancing with Melanie Hooper
Irish Australian singer-songwriter Damien Leith was the winner of Australian Idol in 2006. He secured a record deal with Sony Music Autralia and to date has released four albums. His fifth album ‘Roy’, a tribute to the late Roy Orbison, is due for release shortly.

Nick Bracks – dancing with Jessica Raffa
Model Nick most recently hit the runway at the 2011 L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. His modeling career started in 2009. Since then Nick has worked for an impressive list of clients in Australia and overseas. His father, who he idolises, is Victoria’s longest serving Premier Steve Bracks.

Nathan Bracken – dancing with Masha Belash
Former Australian cricketer Nathan Bracken announced his retirement in January of this year because of a chronic knee injury. As a left arm fast-medium bowler, he is capable of swinging the ball both ways. Nathan has taken the most One Day International wickets by an Australian left-arm pace bowler, making him the second fastest Australian to reach this milestone equal with Shane Warne and Dennis Lillee.

Haley Bracken – dancing with Aric Yegudkin
Wife of Australian cricketer Nathan Bracken and red carpet sensation Haley stole the show at the 2010 Allan Border Medal awards night when she wore a see-through mesh bodice dress that she designed herself. Hayley regularly graces the covers of lads magazines and is currently completing a Bachelor of Law.

Dan Ewing – dancing with Luda Kroitor
Dan plays Heath Braxton – one of ‘The River Boys’ – on Seven’s Home and Away. Dan has two tattoos on his right arm. The first is a Southern Cross as a mark of respect to his ancestors who fought in two World Wars. The second says Carpe Diem, which directly translates as “Seize the Day”. He is currently a finalist in Cleo’s Bachelor of the Year competition.

Samantha Armytage – dancing with Brendon Midson
Newsreader Samantha regularly travels on the road as a journalist as well as presenting the very successful Weekend Sunrise with Andrew O’Keefe. Samantha joined the Seven Network in 2003. She also presents Today Tonight’s summer series.

Mark Occhilupo – dancing with Jade Brand
“Occy” began his professional surfing career on the World Championship Tour (WCT) at the age of 17. In the mid 90s after a long hiatus he made a comeback determined to be a champion. He won the world title in 1999. Although retired from surfing, he still lives, breathes and promotes surfing full-time and competes as a wildcard in various Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) events.

Jan Stephenson – dancing with Mark Hodge
An Australian professional golfer since 1973, Jan Stephenson was one of the first LPGA stars to openly embrace and champion a sex-sells approach to marketing. Even though she has won many international titles and was number one in the world she is still known for bringing glamour to the golfing world. These days she owns a Golf Course Design and Management Company.

29 Responses

  2. @ Steve and all the other knockers, I will be watching this show and I am certainly not ashamed of myself. I think this is one of the better line-ups the show has had so far. I wish people who don’t intend to watch it would keep their comments to themselves, instead of being so consistently negative. Nobobdy cares if you don’t like the show.

  3. Who convinced Samantha Armytage to be on this show. I would have thought she had a bit more class and self asteem and respect. Looks like i was wrong. I often question the need for these b and c grade celebrities to go on a show like this. They put themselves at risk of getting injured and ridiculed i would not do it.

  4. Anyone who watches this show should be ashamed of themselves. I honestly didn’t think Seven had it in them to produce television of a lower quality, but with Bingle, Bracks’ kid, and Brynne Edelsten??? Amazing.

    RIP DWTS.

  5. @ Allie. Really really sloppy copywriting…..

    The longest serving Victorian Labor premier was John Cain II

    5. 41st ALP John Cain II 8 April 1982 10 August 1990 8 years, 124 days
    6. 44th ALP Stephen Bracks 20 October 1999 30 July 2007 7 years, 283 days

  7. Shocking line up! Apart from Sam Armitage, Damien Leith and good on the lady golfer.

    Not many seasons left for this show by the looks of it! Think there will be a lot of fast forwarding happening………

  9. @bh – hahaha. I know, they could have at least mentioned he played two separate characters on Home and Away in the span of 4 years – so says imdb…

  11. the home and away actor or one of the other 2 7 personalities will win. it happenes every year. they should rename this show. todd mac been sacked yet.

  12. Haley Bracken are you serious? I though we’s get rid of her once Nathan retired. She isnt a star. She wore one dress to gain attention and 7 got sucked in big time by giving her fame now.

    Jan Stephenson is different and a great addition. Same with Sam. At least they have 2 smart women there.

    Damien Leith I can take because he has actually achieved something.

    Nathan Bracken yes great idea to have a ex cricketer on but I’d would have liked to see Matthew Hayden.

    Manu will be great and its great that he finally was be to go on as he has been wanting to compete in the show for ages. Watch helen support him.

    I wish they got the older Braxton brother from h&a. Much hotter.

    Occy is a great addition to and its good to see Jade back.

    Its a ctuaslly not a bad male lineup. At least we know who they are, its jsut a shame we couldnt find some better females. Although I give Lara credit in having a go and putting herself back in the public. Just not sure she will get the respect of the public back like she wants.

    Go Manu!

  14. How brilliant is it that all they can come up with for the Home and Away guy is the fact that he has two tattoos and the translation of what they mean? That is some CV!

  16. @Sal, they probably meant longest serving Labor Premier. Sloppy copywriting there.

    @AS, yeah, good to see Jan Stevenson, she is looking pretty good, I’ve gotta say. They haven’t hold an older woman on the show for a few seasons now, so good to see a better demographic mix this season. I agree that Brynne and Hayley are questionable inclusions, but ultimately I don’t think it matters on this show whether someone is a questionable “star”. The show is frothy fairy floss and doesn’t have pretensions to be anything but escapist fun. I kinda like Brynne, to be honest, she’s like a Barbie doll come to life. DWTS still rates in excess of 1M plus on a weekly basis and has done so for 7 years now and will probably continue to do so for a few years yet. This bunch look like a lot of fun.

  17. His father, who he idolises, is Victoria’s longest serving Premier Steve Bracks.

    Bracks was premier for around 7 years…… Bolte was premier for around 17

  18. I would probably question the inclusion of Haley Bracken and possibly Brynne Edelstein but there are some pretty big names in this group. Great to see Occy and Jan Stephenson on the list.

  23. errr I though the show was called Dancing with the Stars, not Dancing with the Anonymous Nobodies…….surely Russell Crowe, Beyonce, Keith Urban, Cameron Diaz could be brought in to beef up the star power?

  24. Damien Leith might be a refreshing and humble inclusion to balance out the posturing and preening Bingle, Edelsten et al. I don’t mind Samantha Armytage and she could be the Melinda Schneider/Kylie Gillies of season 11. Jan Stevenson is a blast from the past, and altho i don’t know Dan Ewing – putting another spunk with fireball Luda should be great fun to watch. Debatable stars or not, this show is, for me, anyway, just lots of great fun and smile inducing frivol. And that ain’t a bad thing with all the heaviness and misery in the world.

  25. I didn’t know Manu had once studied to be a clown. I wonder if it was for Cirque de Soleil? I see that they’ve partnered him with Alana, who won the last series with the chippie from Better Homes, he’s been put with a very strong dancer so his chances of doing well in the comp are enhanced. Great to see the professionals Aric, Arsen and Carmelo returning, I love those guys!! I think it is an interesting mix this year, so look forward to the series. I hope against hope that it will be reinstated to its original Tuesday timeslot.

    I don’t think it is necessary to be a big star of stage, screen or TV to meet the criterion of “star” for this particular show, I really don’t. Australia is a very tiny pool of available “stars” for the producers to choose from, so people like WAGs, socialites, models, etc, will inevitably be called on. I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing as the format of the show allows the audience to develop a fondness or a dislke for all the participants, just like any other reality show, which is crammed with Joe Nobodies. Just because someone is a relative unknown doesn’t mean they can’t make a go of it on the program.

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