‘Dancing with the Stars’: Kym Johnson to judge Australian version of show

When we first heard that Kym Johnson was leaving “Dancing with the Stars” for the fall in order to take on some sort of opportunity in Australia, the first thought that immediately entered our mind was simply that she was doing some sort of TV ballroom work in her home country.

However, what we did not expect to hear was the news that she was actually going to be joining the panel of the next season of “Dancing with the Stars Australia” as a judge. The pro made the announcement during a “Morning Show” interview this week, saying that she was very excited for the opportunity, even though there were a certain amount of nerves that go along with it.

Kym clearly has the experience necessary to know what a good routine on this show should be. She’s a veteran of two separate versions of the show, and has been involved in the ballroom world for decades. While you can have a judge on your panel that is more familiar with other areas of dance (see Carrie Ann Inaba here in America), it’s always nice to have at least one who knows ballroom backwards and forwards from a technical perspective. Kym is that person, and now we just have to wonder whether or not she will be a tough enough judge.

While Kym takes on her new duties overseas, we turn once again turn to the American version and who could be dancing here on the upcoming season. Some of the clear favorites based on reports are Snooki, Valerie Harper, and “Glee” star Amber Riley, and we will find out everything officially come September 4, when the names are unveiled during “Good Morning America.”

Photo: ABC