Season nine of
Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 21, 2009. Executive producer
Conrad Green confirmed to
Entertainment Tonight that the season would start off with 16 celebrities, with 3 double-eliminations halfway through the season. Former
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay withdrew from the competition in week three; however,
Debi Mazar was also eliminated on the same night, replacing the double elimination planned for week five. Some changes were added this season including a larger cast and relay dances. Four new dances were introduced to complement the large cast. Those dances were the
bolero,
lambada,
two-step, and the
Charleston. The cast was unveiled on the Monday, August 17, 2009, edition of
Good Morning America, returning to the announcement format of most seasons past.
Tom Bergeron and
Samantha Harris returned as the show's hosts.
Len Goodman,
Bruno Tonioli, and
Carrie Ann Inaba continue as the judges this season, with
Baz Luhrmann appearing as a guest judge in week two, temporarily replacing Len Goodman. Pro pairings were officially announced on August 24, 2009. This was
Samantha Harris' last season as co-host.