(L-R) Alan Bernsten, Debbie Gibson – ABC/Lou Rocco(LOS ANGELES) — When pop stars join the cast of Dancing with the Stars, they usually wait a few weeks before dancing to one of their own hits, but not Debbie Gibson. When the show returns for its 25th season tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, she’ll be strutting her stuff to her 1988 #1 hit “Lost in Your Eyes,” along with her pro partner Alan Bernsten.
But just because she’s dancing to a familiar song doesn’t mean the former teen idol will be any less nervous. “Seriously, I am somebody who, once I’m on stage, I’m happy, I’m relaxed…but the hours leading up to a performance, even 30 years later, I make myself crazy!” Debbie tells ABC Radio.
She laughs, “It’s like, I don’t drink, I don’t take Xanax, I have no crutches. I anticipate that first time on the ballroom, I’m sure I’m gonna be petrified and trying to…pull it together.”
Another pop idol, Nick Lachey, is competing this season, against his own wife, Vanessa. She’s dancing with Maks Chmerkovskiy, while he’s dancing with Maks’ wife, Peta Murgatroyd. But he says he and Vanessa will avoid any trash talk.
“I don’t think we even need to talk smack, because it’s just kinda understood that there’s a lot riding on this,” he tells ABC Radio. “I mean, pride if nothing else….we’re both competitive. We both wanna win, but we also both support each other.”
“I think there’s really a great opportunity to…be there for each other, and hopefully that gets us both into the finals,” he says. “And then we’ll see what happens!”
The third musician in the ballroom this year is platinum-selling pop violinist Lindsey Stirling. She’s paired with two-time champ Mark Ballas, a friend of hers.
“I saw that I could…make it work [with my schedule] and…I was like, ‘Sign me up! I’m in!'” Lindsey laughs. “And then when I found out Mark was doing it, I was like, ‘Can he be my partner?'”
On tonight’s show, each couple will perform a salsa, foxtrot, tango or cha cha, and no one will be eliminated.
Here’s who’s dancing to what tonight:
Barbara Corcoran & Keo Motsepe – Salsa – “Money Maker” by Ludacris featuring Pharrell
Debbie Gibson & Alan Bersten – Foxtrot – “Lost in Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson
Derek Fisher & Sharna Burgess – Salsa – “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow
Drew Scott & Emma Slater – Foxtrot – “Our House” by Madness
Frankie Muniz & Witney Carson – Foxtrot – “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles
Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold – Tango – “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” by Shawn Mendes
Lindsey Stirling & Mark Ballas – Cha Cha – “Don’t Worry” by Madcon
Nick Lachey & Peta Murgatroyd – Cha Cha – “Come Get It Bae” by Pharrell Williams
Nikki Bella & Artem Chigvintsev – Tango – “So What!” by Pink
Sasha Pieterse & Gleb Savchenko – Cha Cha – “Like That” by Fleur East
Terrell Owens & Cheryl Burke – Cha Cha – “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
Vanessa Lachey & Maks Chmerkovskiy – Cha Cha – “Woman” by Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns
Victoria Arlen & Val Chmerkovskiy – Cha Cha – “Born Ready” by Disco Fries featuring Hope Murphy
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