Reality TV royalty rumored for Dancing with the Stars after suffering devastating tragedy
DWTS, which returns to ABC with its 34th season next month, has been known to catapult C-list celebrities into overnight sensations.
Last season, The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson took home the coveted Mirrorball trophy, while Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and Alan Bernstein finished in second place.
As for this year, only a handful of celebrities have confirmed their appearance.
Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, TikTok influencer Alix Earle, and Robert Irwin – the son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin – were the first to announce their casting.
However, a insider has exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail that reality TV royalty could be taking to the coveted ballroom in a few weeks.
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have both been asked to join, according to an insider.
But the deal isn't set in stone just yet, as it will reportedly take a major paycheck for the couple to sign on.
'Spencer and Heidi have both been asked to join the next season of DWTS, and they could sign on the dotted line if the money is right. It is all about the money,' the source said. 'Negotiations are hot and heavy right now.'
The couple, who have been married since 2008, have been in need of a financial boost after losing their $2.5million Pacific Palisades home in the devastating Los Angeles fires earlier this year.
Heidi, 38, recently revealed that they can't even afford to rebuild on the lot where their home once stood. Instead, the couple have been living in a rental home in Santa Barbara with their two sons – Gunner, seven, and Ryker, two.
In an effort to get back on their feet, Spencer, 41, immediately sprang into action by urging his fans to stream Heidi's 2010 album Superficial.
The record – which only sold 1,000 copies in its first week – reached the top of the iTunes chart in the US in January, thanks to Spencer's viral posts, and generated nearly $150,000 from streaming and digital sales, Billboard reported at the time.
It also reignited Heidi's music career, as she filmed a new music video for the album's hit single, I'll Do It, more than 10 years after its initial release.
The Hills stars have clearly shown they're willing to do whatever it takes to support their family, and joining the upcoming season of DWTS will undoubtedly lead to even more lucrative opportunities for the couple.
'After losing their home in the fires earlier this year, they have tried to figure out how to make money to get back on their feet,' the source continued.
'What better way than being a part of the show which will no doubt spark other opportunities?
'They already have the story that DWTS loves, so if they can incorporate that into making a few extra dollars, there is nothing more that they can ask for – as they want to make any quick buck they can make.'
Despite their financial woes, Heidi and Spencer have been picky when it comes to their next move – even shutting down pleas to join the cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills due to the couple's longstanding feud with executive producer Andy Cohen.
Although Heidi and Spencer have yet to confirm their casting on DWTS, the mother of two recently posted a TikTok video with dancing pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who teased that he might come out of retirement to partner with Heidi.
'Well, are we thinking Dancing With the Stars?' she said in the clip posted in May, as she posed with the 45-year-old DWTS alum.
'You should be on the next season,' he told Heidi, who asked if he would be her partner.
'I'll un-retire,' Maksim replied.
Heidi and Spencer are seasoned reality TV veterans.
The couple – nicknamed 'Speidi' – famously met at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2006 while Heidi was filming season one of MTV's The Hills.
Spencer joined the following season, and they were married just two years after their first encounter. The series ended in 2010 after six seasons.
They later joined the cast of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2009.
They repeatedly attempted to quit the survival show three times before finally leaving after Heidi got sick and was rushed to the hospital.
They starred in Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2013 before returning for Celebrity Big Brother: All Stars vs New Stars in 2017, but they were evicted from the house after 25 days.
They also enjoyed a stint on Celebrity Wife Swap in 2014, which saw Heidi swapping her Los Angeles lifestyle with four-time Olympian Amanda Beard, who lived in a rural area of Washington state.
In 2019, several original cast members of MTV's The Hills reunited for The Hills: New Beginnings, but it was cancelled in early 2022 after two seasons.
DWTS will premiere on ABC and Disney+ on September 16.
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