'Dancing With the Stars': Anne Heche Spotted Wearing Knee Wrap Ahead of Season 29 Premiere
Dancing With the Stars is already taking a toll on its dancers. Two days before Monday's Season 29 [...]
Dancing With the Stars is already taking a toll on its dancers. Two days before Monday's Season 29 premiere, actress Anne Heche showed up to rehearsals in Los Angeles wearing athletic tape wrapped around her knee, pulling up her pant leg to show off the brace for photographs obtained by PEOPLE.
The actress, 51, has not commented publicly on if she's been injured during practice, but said Sunday on Instagram that she would be performing during the season's debut episode. "En route to DWTS rehearsal," she wrote alongside a photo of herself heading into the studio, wearing long leggings that covered her knees. "Can you guess what my first dance will be? Tune in tomorrow on ABC."
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Heche has chronicled her life while preparing for the ABC dance show on Instagram, saying in a video last week, "My kids are just behind me all the way I can't even tell you how amazing this experience has been already for my family and the joy I feel." She joked, "I think I can count up to four now, but we'll see."
The Volcano actress' first dance with her pro partner, who will be announced during Monday's premiere, will be a cha-cha to "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa. Heche's competitors during the premiere include Tiger King's Carole Baskin, dancing the paso doble to "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe, dancing the cha-cha to Lady Gaga's "Stupid Love," and Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, performing a jive to "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd.
Season 29 will be a bit different for Dancing With the Stars competitors, who will not be performing in front of a live audience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, the premiere will have no elimination and no audience vote — dancers will be scored by the judges, whose opinions will be calculated with week two's judge and audience scores to determine which pair will be the first to go home. Judging this season will be returning panelists Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, as well as former pro Derek Hough, who will be taking Len Goodman's seat as the longtime judge weighs in from his home in the U.K. due to travel restrictions. Hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will also not be appearing this season, having been replaced as the emcees with Tyra Banks back in July. Dancing With the Stars Season 29 premieres Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.