10 celebrities who turned down Dancing with the Stars

From Lance Armstrong to Condoleezza Rice, plenty of famous folks have reportedly turned down a chance at small-screen glory on the hit ABC show

Lance Armstrong
(Image credit: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is probably desperate for a little positive buzz in the wake of admitting to Oprah that he used performance-enhancing drugs — but at least for now, he's not reality-TV desperate. Entertainment Weekly reports that Armstrong has declined an offer to compete on the next season of ABC's immensely popular reality series Dancing With the Stars. Of course, Armstrong is hardly the first "star" to resist the glittery allure of the dancing competition; over the past few years, the long-running reality show has reached out to many, many famous folks who could use the money or the P.R. boost from a DWTS appearance. Which celebrities have rejected Dancing with the Stars? A sampling:

1. Lance Armstrong

Though Armstrong needs good P.R. now more than ever, Entertainment Weekly reports that the admitted doper has actually been asked to appear on Dancing with the Stars every year since the series began in 2005. "Although flattered, he has passed on their generous offers," says a spokesman.

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2. Lindsay Lohan

3. Ann Romney

4. Bill Clinton

5. Christine O'Donnell

6. Mark Zuckerberg

7. Ann Coulter

8. Sylvester Stallone

9. Richard Branson

10. Condoleezza Rice

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.