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Celebrity chef Paula Deen is about to put on her dancing shoes. E! News reports she's joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars for its 21st season, premiering September 14.
The cast will be officially announced on September 2 on Good Morning America, but multiple media outlets have confirmed the news. Deen was reportedly asked to join the show several times, as early as 2010. At the time, she told Extra she was a fan, but said "fat girls don't look good sweating." Clearly she's changed her tune, possibly after losing 36 pounds and changing her lifestyle to fight diabetes.
Of course, this might be an attempt to revive Deen's public image after a rough few years: Food Network fired her after a deposition revealed she used the N-word, her restaurant was shuttered, all of her cooking shows are now online-only, and she lost many endorsement deals. Most recently, she got in trouble for posting a photo of herself dressed as Lucille Ball, and her son, Bobby, dressed in "brownface" as Desi Arnaz.
Deen's competition will reportedly include funk diva Chaka Khan; Backstreet Boy Nick Carter; Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin; and jockey Victor Espinoza. We have one burning question for ABC: If she wins, can she deep-fry the Mirror Ball trophy?
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