Annette Sharp: Dancing With The Stars scrambling to find stars

Sam Armytage, Matt Shirvington and Bondi vet Chris Brown have been ruled out of the next season of Dancing With The Stars — but who will hit the dancefloor, asks Annette Sharp.

Dancing With The Stars is set to return to Channel 7 later this year and casting executives are now scrambling for celebrity contestants.

Network sources last week scotched rumours their newest recruit Bondi vet Chris Brown (a favourite of CEO James Warburton) would head on to the dancefloor when production begins in May.

Brown is currently in Africa finishing up his commitments for Ten’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and it seems the turnaround to pull on the Latin shoes and sparkles is too tight.

Also absent from the dancefloor, we hear, is newly returned Seven presenter Sam Armytage, who was last month promoted to the helm of Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife at the expense of longtime anchor Natalie Gruzlewski.

Gruzlewski has been demoted to co-host of that program.

Bondi vet Chris Brown (l to r), Samantha Armytage and Matt Shirvington have all been ruled out for the next season of DWTS.

Armytage has been linked to Dancing With The Stars since her departure from the Sunrise desk two years ago, but as longtime fans of the dance show may recall, she appeared in the 2011 series of the show.

She made it through to week nine despite consistently low scores and being admonished by judge Todd McKenney for not moving her “arse” and putting enough work in.

Also not pulling on the tap shoes is sports reader Matt Shirvington, though this begs further explanation from Seven bosses as his athletic form should make him a prime contender.

Seven traditionally stacks the show with its own talent and sports stars from the sports it broadcasts, so we in Sydney can probably expect to see some AFL stars we don’t know — and perhaps a retired rugby league player to even up the codes.

Seven was making no comment on the 10 contenders last week.

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