Ginger Zee to Join ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Partnered With Val Chmerkovskiy
ABC News' chief meteorologist will compete on the show's 22nd season.
— -- The forecast calls for lots of dancing on Season 22 of “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Good Morning America” meteorologist Ginger Zee is joining the cast of the new season and will be partnered with Season 20 “DWTS” champion Val Chmerkovskiy.
Zee, 35, gave birth to her first child, a son named Adrian, in December. Zee plans to return to “GMA” from maternity leave March 14.
"I want to do it for him," Zee said of Adrian. "I think a lot of moms out there can probably say, it’s tough to go back to work."
"I’m just going to dive fully in and take every single day as it comes and do as much for him first," she said.
Zee will travel between New York City, where "GMA" is based, and Los Angeles, where "DWTS" films.
"Ben is going to be doing a lot," Zee said of her husband, TV personality Ben Aaron.
"Dancing with the Stars" Season 22 premieres March 21 on ABC.
Zee and Chmerkovskiy are already practicing four hours daily to prepare for the premiere.
"She has incredible potential and she really wants to do well and I just want to help her stay ‘super mommy,'" Chmerkovskiy said. "I can’t wait to see her in an element I don’t think anybody really sees her [in] every day."
Zee said the "DWTS" practice regime so far is "no joke" but the meteorologist is no stranger to the ballroom. In 2014, Zee performed a dance routine with former "DWTS" champ Derek Hough and other pro dancers on "GMA" the morning after the Academy Awards.
Zee spent two days rehearsing with Hough for the performance, which she described as the first time in years that she had done any organized dance.
Chmerkovskiy is a longtime pro dancer on “DWTS.” He won the mirrorball trophy with Rumer Willis in Season 20 and last season was paired with Tamar Braxton.
“Fuller House” star Jodie Sweetin, 34, has already been announced as a Season 22 "DWTS" cast member. Sweetin’s professional partner this season is Keo Motsepe.
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