We don’t really remember half of these people either, so here’s a helpful little cheat sheet.
1. Melissa Gilbert: The former “Little House on the Prairie” star (and sister to Sara Gilbert, a host on “The Talk”), returns to ABC after she directed the network’s after school special, “Me and My Hormones.” Yup, that is true. She’ll join tabloid star/pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
2. Sherri Shepherd: We’re a little curious about how Shepherd will manage her time between this show, rehearsals and her gig as a co-host on “The View,” but hey, the gal must really love her ABC. She dances with Val Chmerkovskiy (and no, that’s not a coincidental last name: His brother is Maksim).
3. Martina Navratilova: Navratilova is the only tennis player in the world who has won Grand Slam titles in four different decades. The breast cancer survivor has won 59 Grand Slam titles, nine Wimbledon singles championships and 344 tournaments. She’s paired with Tony Dovolani.
4. Maria Menounos: The actress, author and TV host has a pretty beefy résumé: At 22, she was the youngest person to host “Entertainment Tonight,” and she also conducted the only interview with the Obama family during the presidential campaign. She dances alongside Derek Hough.
5. Gladys Knight: The diva of soul needs no introduction: She’s won eight Grammys during her illustrious career and has recorded more than 38 albums. She was most recently seen in the Tyler Perry film “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” Knight is paired with Tristan MacManus.
6. Jaleel White: Before there was Zooey Deschanel, the most adorkable person on TV was Steve Urkel. White returns to network television after stints on “Boston Legal,” “House” and the feature film “Dreamgirls.” He’ll be dancing with two-time champ Kym Johnson.
7. Donald Driver: Packers’ fans will know Driver as a Super Bowl champ and the All-Time Leading Receiver for the Wisconsin team. He’s also authored children’s books and founded a charity to help the homeless. He’ll dance alongside pro Peta Murgatroyd.
8. Roshon Fegan: He’s a 20-year-old Disney Channel star who appeared in the “Camp Rock” films and is now on “Shake It Up!” He also writes and produces his own music under his own record label. Impressive! He’s paired with Chelsie Hightower.
9. Gavin Degraw:
10. Jack Wagner: You might remember him from his days on “General Hospital” and “Melrose Place.” Or you might recognize him as Heather Locklear’s fiance (until November 2011, at least). He dances with Anna Trebunskaya.
11. William Levy: Ay, papi! No stranger to TV, the Latin heartthrob can be seen on Univision’s ‘Triunfo del Amor,’ the No. 1 telenovela on TV. He’ll show off his moves alongside two-time champ Cheryl Burke.
12. Katherine Jenkins: She’s a Welsh classical singer who is apparently really famous overseas. She’ll dance with two-time champ Mark Ballas.
