By Rachel Yang - Entertainment Weeklt




Hey, all you cool cats and kittens, Carole Baskin is ready to roar on the dance floor.

The big-cat rights activist featured in the wild Netflix docuseries Tiger King is joining Dancing With the Stars!

ABC announced live on Good Morning America Wednesday that Baskin will compete in season 29 of the celebrity dancing competition. Although there are plenty of famous faces in the roster (and quite a few reality stars), the inclusion of the self-described cat lady may be the most surprising and eyebrow-raising.

Stars joining Baskin in the upcoming series include Nelly, Chrishell Stause of Selling Sunset and All My Children fame, coach Monica Aldama from Cheer, actress Skai Jackson, and Anne Heche. They join previously announced contestants Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean and The Bachelor and The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Hosted by Tyra Banks for the first time, DWTS returns Monday, Sept. 4. Here is the full list of the celebrity contestants and dancers:

Celebrities:

  • Monica Aldama
  • Carole Baskin
  • Kaitlyn Bristowe
  • Super Bowl Champion Vernon Davis
  • Anne Heche
  • Skai Jackson
  • Justina Machado
  • AJ McLean
  • Jeannie Mai
  • Jesse Metcalfe
  • Nelly
  • Nev Schulman
  • NBA star Charles Oakley
  • Chrishell Stause
  • Olympic figure skater and commentator Johnny Weir

Professional dancers:

  • Brandon Armstrong
  • Alan Bersten
  • Sharna Burgess
  • Cheryl Burke
  • Artem Chigvintsev
  • Val Chmerkovskiy
  • Sasha Farber
  • Jenna Johnson
  • Daniella Karagach
  • Keo Motsepe
  • Peta Murgatroyd
  • Pasha Pashkov
  • Gleb Savchenko
  • Emma Slater
  • Britt Stewart

Baskin rose to fame as a central figure in the popular Netflix docuseries Tiger King, which among other things, chronicled her feud with zoo owner Joe Exotic, who was convicted of attempting to hire a hitman to kill her in 2020.

She's recently been in the spotlight for slamming the appearance of wild cats in Cardi B's "WAP" music video and for joking that she "could just slap" Chloe Fineman for the comedian's impression of her on Saturday Night Live.