SET NEWS EXCLUSIVE!
Ricki Lake teases fans of possibility of joining “Dancing with the Stars”!

Actress Ricki Lake who had a successful talk show that aired for eleven years from 1993 to 2004 is joining network television again with an “updated, evolved” version of herself is what she stated when she made her first entrance today in front of a studio audience for her pilot taping.

Lake stated that since her talk show exit in 2004, “a lot has happened. I’ve been through a divorce.” Her guests included brides maids with horror “bridezilla” stories of their own, a widowed father, and “Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron whom she worked with on “Hollywood Squares”. Lake mentioned that she has also visited the set of “Dancing with the Stars” and is a huge fan. Bergeron teased “just visited” in reference to hoping to have her on the show as a contestant.

Ricki Lake in the John Waters version of “Hairspray”.

Lake exclaimed that she gets asked each season to be on the popular ABC competition dance show. But, says that she can not dance and she says “no” each season. “When I was in ‘Hairspray’ I didn’t dance. It was all attitude” stated Lake. She also asked Bergeron about the show’s schedule. Studio audiences started to get excited. Then Lake said, “I’m not saying that I’m going to be on the show. But, for the viewers out there who want to know, what is the show schedule like?”

Bergeron said that “Dancing with the Stars” will announce new season 13 celebrities in late August and start filming September 15. He said that when he first heard of the show, his manager told him that he was to take the job. She said “It’s live!”. For Bergeron, this was a good thing in that he prefers live television, “because there are no re-takes”. When he asked his manager what it was, she said it was a ballroom dancing show with celebrities. Bergeron stated to Ricki Lake that he had no idea it was going to be as huge of a success as it has been.

Bergeron also joked that he likes being able to get to the bar by 8:15pm. The bar of choice for the “Dancing with the Stars” cast is the “Whisper Lounge” at The Grove.

Lake said that if everything goes well with this new pilot, viewers can expect to see her new show next year.