Below is an excerpt from “20 Fun Facts About the Cast, Judges and Hosts of Dancing with the Stars Season 20,” which originally appeared on PEOPLE.com. To read the full story, visit PEOPLE.com.
The 10th anniversary cast of Dancing with the Stars boasts plenty of recognizable names, but how well do you really know the 12 stars who will be facing off for this year’s mirror ball trophy?
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Here are 13 surprising facts about the cast – plus some bonus trivia about the returning judges and hosts.
1. Glee‘s Riker Lynch is related to pro Derek Hough and his sister Julianne, a judge and former pro.
Lynch is actually a cousin of the Houghs, telling E! that he “doesn’t see them very often, but we’re cool.” Even though they’ll be competing against each other on the dance floor, Derek congratulated him on the gig. Said Lynch, “Right when I got on the show and we went on Good Morning America, I texted Derek the next day and he was super pumped that I was going to be on the show.”
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2. Army vet Noah Galloway may have lost two of his limbs, but he’s probably one of the most active of all of this year’s competitors.
According to his website, Galloway regularly competes in Tough Mudders, Spartan events and Crossfit competitions, as well as 5K and 10K races.
3. Patti LaBelle has broken some very important racial boundaries over the span of her long career.
As member of the ’60s girl group LaBelle, the singer made history by being a part of the first African-American group to perform at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House.
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4. Football player Michael Sam has a very famous boy band member as a fan.
One Direction‘s Harry Styles wore a Michael Sam No. 96 jersey onstage during an August concert in St. Louis. The boy bander made the move as a show of support for Sam two days after the first round of NFL roster cuts, which Sam made it through, though he was cut afterwards.
READ MORE: To see the full story, visit PEOPLE.com.