Which star will dance off with the mirror-ball trophy? (Adam Taylor/ABC)(Television Without Pity) — The semiannual announcement of the "celebrities" who will be competing for a tacky trophy on "Dancing With the Stars" has been made. We now know the twelve people who will be donning uncomfortable shoes and attempting to win over the American public with their ballroom skills. Who has the best shot at coming out on top in this popularity contest? We've got our early predictions.
David Arquette
Why You Know Him: He's arguably the most famous member of the Arquette family and has had big roles in the "Scream" franchise. He was also married to Courteney Cox.
How He'll Do: Hard to say. The funnyman is a little over the top, so it's unclear if he'll be able to do a refined dance like the waltz.
Ron Artest
Why You Know Him: This L.A. Laker, who is also known as Metta World Peace, is the obligatory male athlete of the year, and is clearly looking for something to fill his time if the NBA lockout lasts for a while.
How He'll Do: Athletes typically fare well on this show. Plus, he's a rapper, so he may have rhythm. His downfall could be juggling this show and basketball (if there is a season), so he might have to drop out early.
Chaz Bono
Why You Know Him: The offspring of Sonny and Cher, this guy is the first transgender contestant that "Dancing With the Stars" has had.
How He'll Do: He's a little on the larger side, so flexibility might be a struggle, but hopefully the LGBT community will turn out in droves to vote for him.
Elisabetta Canalis
Why You Know Her: She's an Italian actress, but you probably know her as arm candy for ex-boyfriend George Clooney.
How She'll Do: People don't really know all that much about her, so getting out the vote could be challenging. For her sake, she'd better be graceful or she'll be the first out.
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Kristin Cavallari
Why You Know Her: If you've subjected yourself to MTV's "Laguna Beach" or "The Hills," then you are familiar with the delightfully bitchy Kristin.
How She'll Do: Voters of a certain age might not know who she is and we've never really seen her dance in the clubs (mostly she just stands in the corner, drinks, and makes snide comments), so she's got a lot of ground to make up.
Nancy Grace
Why You Know Her: She's the loud and outspoken TV hostess known for covering high-profile court cases in her unique and opinionated way.
How She'll Do: For everyone's sake, we're hoping poorly. We don't need to see her in a tight dress doing a cha-cha, 'cause our eyes will start bleeding. Then again, she's got a rabid fan base who might keep her in the game.
Rob Kardashian
Why You Know Him: He's the brother of Khloe, Kim, etc. -- that's basically his claim to any sort of fame.
How He'll Do: His sister Kim had a blink-and-you-missed-it appearance on the show, so he'll likely do worse than that.
Carson Kressley
Why You Know Him: For years he helped make men look good on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and now he has a show on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network.
How He'll Do: We were hoping that he'd be the first dancer in a same-sex couple, but regardless, we have a feeling that he's got more than a few dance moves in his back pocket.
[Photos: Check Out Last Season's 'DWTS' Performances]
Ricki Lake
Why You Know Her: Depending on your age group, you either know her as the original Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray," or as the talk show host who had audiences chanting her name as she dealt with some Jerry Springer-style topics.
How She'll Do: She's a hero to gals struggling with weight loss, she's got legions of people that grew up with her show, and she's insanely likeable. She's our pick to win this thing.
J.R. Martinez
Why You Know Him: If you don't watch "All My Children," you might not know him, but this soap star is also an Iraq War vet who was in a landmine accident and spent more than two years recovering. He's also a motivational speaker.
How He'll Do: Heck, we're impressed that he's doing this show at all, and people should relate to his story. He could be this season's breakout star.
Chynna Phillips
Why You Know Her: If you've ever heard the dulcet tones of Wilson Phillips's "Hold On," you know Chynna Phillips. She had a cameo in this summer's comedy megahit "Bridesmaids."
How She'll Do: We're dreading her obligatory foxtrot to "Hold On," but other than that, Billy Baldwin's wife should hang around for a long time.
Hope Solo
Why You Know Her: Unless you are a big-time follower of women's soccer, you may not recognize her, but she's the goalkeeper for the U.S. National Team.
How She'll Do: Probably pretty well, since she's got athletic ability and competitive drive.
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