Dancing With the Stars season 33 cast guide: Here's who's vying for the Mirror Ball trophy

It's fall and that means Dancing With the Stars is back! A new season—featuring 13 new competitors vying for the famed Mirror Ball Trophy—kicked off on Sept. 17. Episodes will air weekly on ABC throughout the fall.

Anyone who’s watched the series before knows there is a multi-layered approach to trying to win. Yes, the judges' scores and often audience votes reflect the effort and performance of the stars on the floor. But what can often be the difference between a title shot and going home early is your built-in audience and the network of voters keeping you around. As we prepare for another season, let’s dive in, look at the competitors, and look at their chances of making the finale!

Danny Amendola

Claim to Fame: Played in the NFL for 13 seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots
About: Athletes are sometimes a mixed bag when it comes to the competition. We’ve seen some that have thrived on the dance floor and others that have looked stiff and out of place. But Amendola had some moves as a receiver, so I’m optimistic. He also was a decently popular player and between his looks and his Patriots history; he should have his fans out there.

Anna Delvey - ELIMINATED

Claim to Fame: She was the infamous socialite and con artist who was sent to prison and inspired the Netflix series Inventing Anna.
About: This is probably one of the most controversial additions to the cast in some time. Is that a bad thing, though? It’s been said no press is bad press, and the controversy has certainly raised her profile. But it’s also possible that people don’t want to see her succeed—we’ve seen that before. It’s also unclear how, given her background, she’ll perform in this series. I’m skeptical.

Well, Delvey did not last long. She was the first elimination of the season.

Joey Graziadei

Claim to Fame: He was the titular Bachelor from season 28 of the show
About: It’s a rite of passage for the Bachelor, or Bachelorette, to make their way to Dancing With the Stars. In Season 32, last fall, Charity Lawson was impressive. She made it to the finals, finishing fourth in the competition and delivering some of the most memorable dances along the way. Can Joey do the same? If he can, he’ll be in good shape with the built-in popularity coming from his stint on The Bachelor.

Dwight Howard

Claim to Fame: Howard played in the NBA for 19 seasons, notably with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers
About: Howard was, at one point, one of the best defensive players in the game. But he’s older now, and likely to be quite a bit taller than his partner. We’ve seen in the past that the height disparity can make for some awkward performances. Given that and my perception that he won’t have the biggest fanbase to start, he’s a long shot for the title.

Chandler Kinney

Claim to Fame: Actress best known for her work on Max's Pretty Little Liars reboot
About: Here we have an interesting candidate. She’s an actress who has worked on a number of projects, among them the Pretty Little Liars franchise that’s got a built-in fanbase. And prior to breaking out in acting, she was trained as a dancer. That could give her a leg up on the competition.

Ilona Maher

Claim to Fame: She was on the Bronze-Medal-Winning Rugby Team in Paris
About: Here we get the first of two Olympians. Maher exploded this summer not only for her play on the field, as the U.S. women won Bronze, but as a Social Media personality. That bodes well for a competition like this. As an athlete in her prime, she should do well on the floor, even though Rugby isn’t the most graceful sport.

Brooks Nader

Claim to Fame: Model and actress who appeared on the Sports Illustrated Cover
About: Nader will certainly bring popularity and a following into the competition, especially as the most recent cover model. The question is her dance skills and ability. That could make her something of a Wild Card early on.

Stephen Nedoroscik

Claim to Fame: U.S. gymnast who won a Bronze Medal in Paris
About: Nedoroscik was one of the breakout stars of the Paris games. His work on the Pommel Horse was captivating to watch, and one of the successes of the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team that saw him win a team and individual medal. He plays a sport with a combination of power and artistry, too, which should help. He’s one of the favorites in this competition.

Phaedra Parks

Claim to Fame: TV Personality featured on series such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta
About: Parks is a busy woman as an attorney, author, businesswoman, and TV personality. She’s popped up in a lot of places, but being on the Real Housewives franchise should help give her some built-in audience. But what about her skills as a dancer? That’s more of a question that can’t be answered by her previous body of work.

Eric Roberts

Claim to Fame: Legendary actor, Julia Roberts’ brother
About: Roberts has been in the acting game for a long time—since he was 19. He’s appeared in many different projects, including high-profile hits like The Dark Knight, and was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in Runaway Train. He’s also Julia Roberts’ brother and Emma Roberts’ father, which might give him more of a following. As for dancing, he has appeared in a number of music videos which could help.

Tori Spelling - ELIMINATED

Claim to Fame: Actress who starred in Beverly Hills 90210
About: For older audiences like myself, she will always be Donna Martin from the original 90210. But Spelling has appeared in a lot of reality series and several Lifetime original films. Recently she’s also gotten into podcasting. That gave her a wide and long presence in the cultural landscape, but that still wasn't enough to keep her around for long.

Spelling marked the second elimination of the season.

Jenn Tran

Claim to Fame: Starred in The Bachelorette
About: Tran is going for the ABC reality trifecta as she was a contestant on The Bachelor, became the Bachelorette, and now will be on Dancing With the Stars. She should have a solid, built-in fanbase. She also has some athletics history in her background, which could give her an advantage when it comes to moving on the dance floor.

Reginald VelJohnson

Claim to Fame: Actor from Family Matters
About: VelJohnson probably has two different fan groups for his acting work. Some will remember him as the loveable dad from Family Matters, the long-running sitcom. Others will think of him as Sgt. Al Powell, who helped Bruce Willis beat the bad guys in the first two Die Hard films.