TV pick: Dancing with the Stars

Chrystal Chenery and Jonny Williams from Dancing With The Stars. Photo / Supplied

TV3's revival of Dancing with the Stars, which hits screens this weekend, hasn't quite achieved the starpower among its 10 amateur contenders that TVNZ's version managed when it screened between 2005 and 2010.

There are no All Blacks or Silver Ferns, past or present, for one thing. The nearest thing to a politician is Pam Corkery. There's but one former Shortland Streeter among them. Two of the 10 - Siobhan Marshall and Ben Barrington - are actors on long departed TV3 dramas. Another is fresh from appearing on The Bachelor. Two are morning hosts on Mediaworks radio stations.

But if it's a little lacking in household names, the show will be bigger in other ways - it has 10 contestants, meaning 10 weeks of competition.

It sure doesn't lack for experience among the dance partners. Five are veterans of the TVNZ show, while on the judging panel are past double winner Stefano Oliveri and past competitor Hayley Holt, who join past presenter Candy Lane.

Among the almost-famous five to have signed on for the TV3 incarnation are Jonny Williams, who was twice runner up with partners Barbara Kendall and Megan Alatini but didn't fare so well with actors Angela Bloomfield or Miriam Smith.

This time, he's partnered with The Bachelor's Chrystal Chenery.
Williams' wife Kirstie Williams danced with actor Chris Hobbs in 2009 and in this series is partnered with television presenter Colin Mathura-Jeffree.

Adding to the sparkly near-namesakes among the competition is Krystal Stuart, who didn't have much luck in the earlier seasons - she was memorably dropped by Rodney Hide in 2006, had partner John Rowles withdraw from the competition in 2009 and was eliminated early with Frank Bunce in 2007. This time she's got the younger Barrington as her partner - though it might be worrying for Stuart that he's chosen St Johns Ambulance as his charity.

Also returning for the TV3 version is Nerida Cortese who was runner-up with future husband Shane Cortese in 2005 and runner-up with Monty Betham in 2008. This time she's got another boxer in Shane Cameron to go toe-to-toe with.

And as well as a married couple among the competing pros, there's a sibling rivalry too. Vanessa Cole (partnered with Simon Barnett) and Scott Cole (Teuila Blakely) are brother and sister following in the footsteps of older bro, former Dancing with the Stars judge Brendan Cole.

When: 7pm, Sundays; 8pm Mondays
Where: TV3
What: Waltzing back on to a new channel

- Timeout