ABC announces 12 celebrities joining first-ever 'Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars' cast

The 13^th celebrity joining the cast will be voted in by fans as the "Viewers' Choice: All-Star"

Professional dancer partner pairings will be announced live on ABC's "Good Morning America," Aug. 13

"Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" marks the first time prior contestants will return for another chance at winning the coveted mirror ball trophy for a very special all-star season. From former champions to fan favorites, including a celebrity voted in by fans, the stars will return and will be paired with some of the world's most decorated professional ballroom dancers for the most unforgettable season yet. Week to week these "Dancing with the Stars" alumni will once again compete to impress the judges and the viewers at home in order to be crowned the mirror ball champions.

In a show first, fans will determine who the final All-Star cast member will be. The three celebrities vying to fill the 13^th spot on the cast are Sabrina Bryan, Carson Kressley and Kyle Massey. Fans can vote for their favorite "Viewers' Choice: All-Star" atwww.ABC.com/DancingwiththeStars, presented by Diet Pepsi, now through Friday, Aug. 24 at 3 p.m., ET, to determine which of the three celebrities will be named the final all-star contestant. Once voting has closed, the final cast member will be announced live on "Good Morning America," on Monday, Aug. 27.

The All-Star cast and their professional partners will take to the stage for the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars," Monday, Sept. 24 (8 to 10 p.m.) followed by the premiere of "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8 to 10 p.m.) on the ABC Television Network.

The 12 out of 13 all-star celebrities returning to the dance floor this season are:

KIRSTIE ALLEY - Kirstie Alley ("Cheers," "Fat Actress") has emerged as one of the great actresses of her generation, proving time and again that she is capable of great depth and range, as well as possessing comedic timing second to none. Alley's work in television has earned her seven Golden Globe and eight Emmy nominations, winning one Golden Globe, two Emmys and three People's Choice Awards.

PAMELA ANDERSON - A multi-talented model, actress, entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist, activist, spokesperson, designer and mother, Pamela Anderson ("Baywatch") is one of the most diversely talented stars in history. Anderson follows her passions, whether it's "Learning French in fast cars..." (A play she has written and will produce) or lending herself, with complete faith, as a death defying magician's assistant in Las Vegas.

HELIO CASTRONEVES - One of the most popular personalities in all of sports, Helio Castroneves - Team Penske's elder statesman - has accomplished much in his illustrious career, yet he remains passionate in his desire to achieve much more. Castroneves returns for his 13th season with Team Penske in 2012, driving the No. 3 Shell-V-Power Pennzoil-Ultra and AAA/Automobile Club of Southern California Indy car.

JOEY FATONE - Former *NSYNC star Joey Fatone is embarking on a series of projects for FremantleMedia Enterprises -from hosting "Price is Right Live" in Las Vegas and Atlantic City to "Let's Make a Deal" for Caesar Entertainment - and currently is the voice of the widely successful re-launch of "Family Feud" with Steve Harvey. Fatone also just completed a horror film "Inkubus," working aside the original Freddy Kruger -- Robert Englund.

SHAWN JOHNSON - At 20 years old, gymnast Shawn Johnson has accomplished a lifetime of achievements, including an individual gold medal in the balance beam and three silver medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team categories at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

DREW LACHEY - Drew Lachey, a native of Cincinnati, is best known for his multi-platinum pop group 98 Degrees, which he joined with his brother Nick in 1995. Lachey is the season two winner of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," beating out 10 other dance couples in 2006. He also served as co-host of" Dancing with the Stars" and hosted ABC's "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann," a live, one-hour series that featured teams created by judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.

GILLES MARINI - Gilles Marini first captivated audiences as Dante, the steamy neighbor living next door to Kim Cattrall's Samantha in the "Sex and the City" feature film, a role which made him instantly recognizable in the U.S. and abroad, followed by finishing in second place on season eight of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Marini is currently starring on the critically acclaimed ABC Family drama "Switched at Birth."

KELLY MONACO -- Kelly Monaco originated the highly anticipated role of Samantha McCall on ABC's "General Hospital" in October 2003. In the category of Outstanding Lead Actress, Monaco was an Emmy nominee for this role in 2006. She starred in the first season of the ABC primetime summer mega-hit, "Dancing with the Stars," where she won the dance championship. She had a three-and-a-half-year stint on the ABC Daytime drama "Port Charles," garnering her first Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2003.

APOLO ANTON OHNO - Best known for making history at the 2010 Winter Olympics by becoming the most decorated U.S. winter olympian with eight career Olympic medals, Apolo Ohno has been the top short-track speed skater in the U.S. Among his tremendous accolades, Ohno is a three-time olympian, one of only four Americans to win three medals in a single Winter Olympics, and is a 12-time U.S. national champion.

BRISTOL PALIN - Bristol Palin, 21 years old, was born and raised in Wasilla, Alaska. Bristol is the second child and oldest daughter of former Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. Palin and Levi Johnston's son, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, was born in 2008. Palin is an author, speaker and reality television personality. After she became a single mother at age 18, she began to publicly advocate teenage pregnancy prevention, and is now a paid speaker on the subject of teen pregnancy.

MELISSA RYCROFT - One week after the most talked about season finale of ABC's "The Bachelor," "Bachelor" star Melissa Rycroft stepped onto the dance floor in heroic fashion on "Dancing with the Stars." With just two days to prepare for her nationally televised ballroom dancing debut, Rycroft displayed character and strength overcoming nerves, anxiety and the pressure to perform in front of a live audience. Paired with professional dancer Tony Dovolani, Rycroft "waltzed" her way into America's hearts and into a third-place finish on season eight of the hit ABC series.

EMMITT SMITH - A respected entrepreneur, sought-after speaker, bestselling author and dancing's "king of effortless cool," Emmitt Smith first rose to prominence via an illustrious football career, most notably winning three Super Bowl championships as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He retains the honor of being the only player to have won a Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP and NFL Rushing Crown in the same season. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010, Smith is the NFL's all-time leading rusher, having amassed 18,355 yards during his 15 seasons.

As announced, the three celebrity alumnus competing to be the "Viewer's Choice: All-Star" are:

SABRINA BRYAN -- Sabrina Bryan was a member of the multi-platinum recording act, The Cheetah Girls, as well as a star of the hugely successful Disney Channel movie of the same name as Dorinda. "The Cheetah Girls" movie debuted in August of 2003, breaking the ratings record as the most successful Disney Channel movie in history and selling two million units of the soundtrack. She is currently starring on-stage in the "Dancing with the Stars: Live in Las Vegas" at The New Tropicana.

CARSON KRESSLEY - Emmy-winning television star, celebrity stylist, author and fashion designer Carson Kressley is out to make over the world. Kressley was a season 13 fan favorite on ABC's "Dancing with The Stars" and recently headlined as the host of "Dancing with the Stars: Live in Las Vegas." In 2011 Kressley starred in "Carson-Nation," a one-hour reality show for OWN, where he traveled to small towns throughout the U.S., transforming lives one person at a time with his signature heart, humor and style. Previously he earned a primetime Emmy for his role on Bravo's breakout hit series, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

KYLE MASSEY - Although only 20 years old, Kyle Massey is already an industry veteran. A near champion on season 11 of "Dancing with the Stars," he finished second with his partner, Lacey Schwimmer. Massey is most known for his acting role as Cory Baxter on the Disney Channel's No. 1 hit sitcom, "Cory in the House." He originated the role of Cory on Disney's "That's So Raven," which produced 100 episodes, the first in Disney's history.

The three contestants competing to be the "Viewers' Choice: All-Star" will kick-off their campaign with their first television interview live in-studio on "Good Morning America," Monday, July 30.

"Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" and "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars the Results Show" return this season with new surprises and all the performance elements viewers have come to know and love. "Macy's Stars of Dance," featuring some of the best choreographers and performers from the different styles of dance who offer viewers performances that represent the peach of achievement in their genres, will return. The show also welcomes the return of the "AT&T Spotlight Performance," which features and celebrates people whose lives have been changed forever by dance. AT&T is also helping the search to find these performers by allowing fans to nominate potential dancers.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Brooke Burke-Charvet ("Dancing with the Stars" season seven champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 60 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" performance shows. AT&T customers may also vote by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Online voting at www.ABC.com is open from the start of each episode on the East Coast and closes at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday mornings. Additionally, fans can now vote on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars. A custom Facebook app sponsored by AT&T will let fans vote, share who they voted for and why, as well as see who friends voted for. They can also access the "After Party: Dancing with the Stars" live stream, the DWTS "Social Buzz" page, and the "AT&T Spotlight Performance" and "Casting Call" from the app.

Also new this year is "After Party: Dancing with the Stars," a 15-20 minute live show that takes place online athttp://www.ABC.com/DancingWithTheStars, Facebook, and YouTube immediately following each Monday night performance episode. Sponsored by AT&T, this original online video show will feature a host, a panel of dance experts, show talent and celebrity guests breaking down the highlights of the night and answering questions via Twitter, Facebook and ABC.com.