Phil Hellmuth May Appear on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars has featured numerous different celebrities over the 11 seasons it has run on ABC, including politicians, television stars and athletes. But if the rumors are true, it’s possible that we may be adding a new category to the list: a dancing poker player.

According to his own Twitter feed, Phil Hellmuth may be stepping in to fill just that role. On December 18, Hellmuth made the following announcement:

“OMG! Phil Hellmuth (me!) on "Dancing with the Stars!" Outrageous! Might make a fool out of myself on Worldwide Television one more time...”

Of course, it’s very important to point out that there has been absolutely no confirmation of this rumor; in fact, Hellmuth’s tweet appears to be the only solid evidence (if it could be called that) that he’ll be joining the reality competition in Season 12.

For those who aren’t familiar with the show, Dancing with the Stars pairs celebrities with professional dancers in a friendly but competitive format. The audience and a panel of judges rate each dancing couple, with the lowest scoring competitors being eliminated each week until a champion is crowned.

Traditionally, being tall is considered an advantage in dancing competitions, which could bode well for the 6’6” Hellmuth. On the other hand, his build is far from athletic, a fact that may well work against him. And his legendary tirades aren’t likely to go over well for an audience that has little – if any – knowledge about his poker exploits.

With Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars scheduled for the spring of 2011, the rumored cast members for the show should be confirmed or debunked in the very near future. Recently, a rumor that Lindsay Lohan would appear on the show was denied by both Lohan and her mother, and it’s likely that many other rumors will come and go in the next few weeks.