"Go for it" — DWTS Tori Spelling shares how late Shannen Doherty inspired her

Actress Tori Spelling, who is part of the upcoming Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) season 33, recently shared her inspiration behind joining the reality show. In a September 5 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she revealed that her former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star and late friend Shannen Doherty influenced her.

"I think in general, Shan was always a big champion of mine. She definitely inspired me during that last year to kind of turn on my power, as she would say, and kind of go for it. And that's staying with me, definitely, in my heart," Tori Spelling stated.

For the unversed, Shannen appeared on the dancing reality show in the tenth season as a celebrity dancer. She passed away on July 13, 2024, after a long battle with breast cancer.

As per the latest update, DWTS announced the cast of 13 celebrity dancers for season 33. The latest installment is scheduled to premiere on September 17 at 8 pm ET on ABC and Disney+. The show pairs celebrities with professional dancers who compete to win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

This year, the judges include record six-time champion Derek Hough, alongside Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are the co-hosts.

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DWTS season 33 contestant Tori Spelling rekindled with Shannen Doherty before her passing

Shannen and Tori had lost touch previously as they discussed in the April 23 episode of Shannen's Let's Be Clear podcast. The pair was able to meet up again before Shannen's eventual passing and make up for the lost time.

Tori further discussed in the recent EW interview that she had been approached by DWTS show producers before but would always shy away from it.

“I've gotten that call before and I said no. Not because I didn't want to do the show, because I was terrified and I was so scared.”

She added that Shannen's words rang true in her head and she finally decided to take the leap of faith.

“But this year, when I got the call, I was like, ‘You know what? I'm really trying to turn things around and find myself.’ So I was like, ‘What scares me the most is gonna push me forward in life. So I'm doing it.’”

Tori also revealed that her five children were worried for her after they got to know about her participation in DWTS because she admitted that she doesn't workout in her spare time. Elaborating on the same subject, she said that she'd go as far as driving for 30 minutes just to find a parking spot near the entrance.

As Tori is partnered with Pasha Pashkov for the upcoming season of DWTS, she mentioned that she'd like to win the Mirrorball trophy. She went on to say:

“I can put [Pashkov] first, so I'd like to win it for him and his family. I'm going to be a different me now: I want to win!”

After Shannen Doherty's passing, Tori posted a heartfelt tribute on July 15, 2024, on Instagram and described their pair as “each other's wing women, "true confidantes," and "travel buddies." She also mentioned that they were like "support systems" for one another.

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Full cast of Dancing With the Stars season 33

The cast of DWTS season 33 was announced on Good Morning America on September 5, 2024. Thirteen celebrities paired with a professional dance partner will compete to win the hearts of America. Besides Tori Spelling, the other celebrities are:

1. Anna Delvey (fake heiress, con woman)
2. Brooks Nader (model)
3. Chandler Kinney (actress)
4. Danny Amendola (former NFL winner)
5. Dwight Howard (former NBA player)
6. Eric Roberts (actor)
7. Ilona Maher (Olympic bronze medal rugby player)
8. Jenn Tran (star of The Bachelorette season 21)
9. Joey Graziadei (The Bachelorette season 20 runner-up)
10. Phaedra Parks (reality TV star)
11. Reginald VelJohnson (actor)
12. Stephen Nedoroscik (two-time Olympic bronze medal winner)

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Dancing With the Stars is slated to premiere on Sept. 17 at 8 pm ET on ABC and Disney+. The episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.