Heavy/ABC/Peacock Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen came to the defense of a “Vanderpump Rules” star who has been trying to get cast on “Dancing With the Stars” for years.
During the second part of the “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 reunion that aired on May 21, 2024, the Bravo host issued an appeal to ABC to cast Scheana Shay for the upcoming season of the celebrity ballroom competition.
Cohen noted that Shay promoted her “dream” of being on “Dancing with the Stars” “all season” on “Vanderpump Rules.” He said it would be “cruel” if Shay wasn’t asked to join the cast of the celebrity dance-off.
“I feel like if they don’t have you, it’s cruel,” Cohen told the 39-year-old “Vanderpump Rules” star. “It’s mean at this point.”
Cohen then looked directly into the camera and delivered a message to ABC’s powers-that-be: “Have her on. Have her on!” he said.
The only two “Vanderpump Rules” stars ever to compete on DWTS are Lisa Vanderpump (season 16) and Ariana Madix (season 32).
Scheana Shay Said She’s Busy This Year
Shay spoke about her DWTS dreams after Ariana Madix was cast on the show in 2023 on the heels of her ex Tom Sandoval’s headline-making cheating scandal.
In the “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 episode “Written in the Stars,” Shay told Vanderpump that she always dreamt of being on “Dancing With the Stars.” The Bravo veteran said it was a “punch to the gut” when she heard Madix was cast instead. “This year I started taking dance class. I was preparing in case, you know, I did get it,” Shay said in the episode.
She further clarified the situation on Heather McDonald’s “Juice Scoop” podcast in March 2024. Shay explained she had been in talks with DWTS producers in late 2022 and was thought to be a shoo-in for season 32. Shay was apparently bumped for Madix, who became a media darling following Scandoval.
After Cohen pitched her for a spot next season, Shay admitted that after Madix’s amazing season—the “Chicago” star landed in third place on DWTS 32— she couldn’t even think of filling such big shoes.
“I can’t compete with that,” Shay said. “I got plans with the band this year,” the “Good as Gold” singer added. “But maybe next year. This year I do have a full year with plans for myself, with my music. People can talk [expletive] or whatever they want but I’m genuinely enjoying what I’m doing with my life.”
Cohen told her, “With all due, if they call you tomorrow, you’re doing it.”
“Obviously,” Shay said. “But I would prefer, like, next year for my 40th birthday would be fun.”
A ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Insider Thinks Scheana’s Chance For DWTS Has Passed
It will only get harder for Shay to get cast on “Dancing With the Stars” as time passes.
In a February 2024 interview with Variety, longtime DWTS casting director Deena Katz shared that her team looks for well-known celebs or others who have a specialized fan base.
Katz also told Slate magazine that 90 percent of the celebrities she casts are stars she reaches out to and not those who campaign for a spot. Katz chooses some stars that will invoke laughs and others that will make viewers nostalgic. She also adds some stars who are in the news at the time the season takes place. With Scandoval now in the rear-view mirror, another “Vanderpump Rules” star may not be as desirable as last season.
In addition, DWTS insider Kristin Burtt posted a TikTok video on the topic. She noted that there has been a lot of chatter about “Vanderpump Rules” stars wanting to join “Dancing with the Stars.” Burtt played a clip of Cohen saying both Shay and Sandoval said it was their “dream” to be on DWTS.
“That’s an awful lot of campaigning coming from the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cast,” Burtt said in May 2024. “I just think that for Scheana and Sandoval, the time has passed. Nobody’s talking about Scandoval anymore.”
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