‘Dancing with the Stars’: This Backstreet Boy Once Talked About ‘Possibly’ Doing the Show
Dancing with the Stars is no stranger to the Backstreet Boys. Forty percent of the group has competed in the ballroom dance series, and another said he would “possibly” do the show if asked. Find out which Backstreet Boy said he would be willing to try for the Mirrorball and what it will take for him to get cast on DWTS.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ previously featured two Backstreet Boys
The first Backstreet Boy to appear on DWTS was Nick Carter. He danced with Sharna Burgess in season 21. The duo came in second place to Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough.
Later, AJ McLean danced with Cheryl Burke in season 29 of Dancing with the Stars. Their partnership went beyond the ballroom, though. Both in recovery, Burke and AJ started the Pretty Messed Up podcast along with McLean’s mentor Renee Elizondo.
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell doesn’t like to dance but would ‘possibly’ do ‘Dancing with the Stars’
When McLean was on Dancing with the Stars, his bandmate Brian Littrell was a guest on Pretty Messed Up. Together, they talked about the possibility of Littrell joining the show someday.
“I did work with you guys for a few little short minutes,” Burke said. “I can see that you’re very detailed Brian. You take direction and you were great from a ballroom standpoint …”
Littrell, Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Howie Dorough appeared through CGI during McLean and Burke’s week 5 performance in season 29. The group previously appeared in season 12 to perform, too.
When asked if he would ever do Dancing with the Stars, Littrell had this to say: “I don’t know. Possibly. I think it would be fun [and] definitely a challenge. … I don’t really like to dance [or] really enjoy dancing.”
If somebody shows Littrell something, he can emulate it. “It was that athletic ability that I had that [made me a good dancer],” Littrell added. Should he ever appear on DWTS, fans can expect that “athletic ability” to kick in.
‘DWTS’ cast is decided by invitation only
Whether or not Littrell is willing to do Dancing with the Stars doesn’t matter — he has to be invited to the competition series first. Contrary to popular belief, celebrities who pitch themselves to Dancing with the Stars rarely get cast in the series.
“You want stars from all different parts and genres because you don’t want only to win [one] market,” co-executive producer Deena Katz explained to CinemaBlend. “We want to hit everything, so we try to have a little bit of everything.”
Katz added: “It’s trying to find a little something for everyone and, yet, trying to find people that cross over a little more. It really is not only getting you to watch a show but bringing you people that we know you will fall in love [with] when you watch their journey.”
Celebrities and their agents aren’t the only people submitting pitches to DWTS showrunners. Fans often make suggestions about who to cast, too. One of the most popular celebrity requests fans have is Jennifer Aniston, per Katz.
Dancing with the Stars Season 31 begins on Sept. 19. There have been plenty of rumors about who we’ll see in the ballroom this season, but fans will have to tune in to Disney+ in a few weeks to find out.
