'Dancing with the Stars' Cast List Revealed; Derek Hough Returning to DWTS for New Season

All attention was focused on the cast of the upcoming 20th season of "Dancing with the Stars" when the names of the celebrity contestants and their professional dancing partners were announced recently.

Some of the big names who made the list included Michael Sam, who last season was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and subsequently released, and Nastia Liukin, an Olympic gymnast who was surprisingly paired with Derek Hough.

Many thought Hough would not return for the upcoming season as he had left to be part of the Radio City Spring Spectacular. However, it seemed the five-time winner of the Mirror Ball trophy just could not stay away from the 20th season.

Commenting on his return to "DWTS," Hough – who is an Emmy Award-winning choreographer – said he had "a little heartbreak from not being able to be a part of the 10th anniversary and the 20th season, as it's my family."

He also added that he was glad that "we made it happen with a few days. Let's make it the best season ever."

Among the rest of the celebrities in the cast are Patti LaBelle, Riker Lynch, Willow Shields, Rumer Willis, Noah Galloway, Suzanne Somers, Redfoo and Robert Herjavec.

The professional dancing partners include Mark Ballas, Val Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson, Emma Slater, Tony Dovolani, Peta Murgatroyd, Artem Chigvintsy, Allison Holker, Keo Motsepe and Sharna Burgess.

After the cast was announced, many news outlets predicted that Michael Sam would do well on the show like other professional athletes who walked away with the Mirror Ball. However, it is certain that Sam will get a good amount of competition from Nastia Liukin.

There are also some faces among the cast who many viewers might not recognize. They include U.S. Army veteran Noah Galloway, who lost his arm and leg in an IED attack in Iraq, and Charlotte McKinney, who recently starred in a Super Bowl ad for Carl's Jr.

Finally one more celebrity will be added to the cast before the season premiere and he will partner with Whitney Carson.