Kim is paired up with professional dancer Derek Hough … and they will face 12 other pairs of contestants when the next season of Dancing with the Stars hits the airwaves next month. After the jump, check out the rest of the promo pics of this seasons stars and their professional dancing partners …

Here we have Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts, Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini, Kym Johnson and David Alan Grier, Lacey Schwimmer and Stephen Glover (Steve-O), Karina Smirnoff and Steve Wozniak, Chelsie Hightower and Ty Murray:

And here we have Jewel and Dmitry Chaplin, Edyta Sliwinska and Lawrence Taylor, Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks, Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas, Nancy O’Dell and Tony Dovolani, Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy:

Clearly, the DWTS Photoshopper is really fond of using the lens flare tool on these promo pics … which gives that cheese effect in each of the photos. Meh, when in Rome, I suppose. While I am really rooting for Lil’ Kim to win it all I am also loving that Belinda Carlisle is in competition this season … tho, I fear that they cast her as the elder contestant a la Cloris Leachman last season — OUCH! On the celeb man front, I think I’ll throw my support behind French actor Gilles Marini. I really became a big fan of his after seeing him in the Sex and the City Movie last Spring … I woudn’t mind rooting for him. Are any of y’all excited for this new season? Will you be watching the show this time around? If so, who are YOU supporting to win it all?

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Even tho these pics are sooooo bad (seriously, so bad!) I’m glad to see that both Cloris Leachman and Toni Braxton are bringin’ the fierceness. I dunno how the hell Lance Bass got talked into wearing his outfit — I thought for sure his days of being bullied into wearing horrible outfits to entertain the public were over … guess not. And can I just say that Ted McGinley who has been a TV hottie since the early 70’s still looks pretty damn good. Geeze, that man must have a deal with the devil … how is it that he can still look hawt after ALL THESE YEARS. Pact with the devil, I’m convinced. I’m not a big fan of this show but they managed to cull together a pretty interesting cast this season. I’m not sure who’s gonna pull out the win in the end … but I do know that Susan Lucci won’t be going home with the trophy (I’m sure it was an honor just being nominated … er, asked to be on the show). I might have to actually watch this season … despite these horribly bad promo pics.

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