Dancing With the Stars 2011: Chaz Bono Losing Weight After Just 1 Week
Chaz Bono has already lost five pounds after only six days of rehearsing for “Dancing with the Stars.”
“He’s lost five pounds in six days. It’s so great. He says he’s not eating any differently, he’s just dancing,” said Lacey Schwimmer, Bono’s dance partner.
Bono has faced ongoing criticism since the show revealed this season’s competitors, but he has taken the backlash and used it to motivate his battle with weight. Reports say Bono requested that some of the junk food on the show’s rehearsal sets be removed.
The heavy-set star is determined to make this opportunity a positive experience.
“When I first met him, he didn’t want to do anything that made him look silly…now he’s all for it. He’s goofing off and he’s pretending to be Maks (Chmerkovkiy) in rehearsals. It’s really funny,” Schwimmer said.
“He’s such a great guy. He is so nice, and he’s such a kind person. He’s awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner,” she said.
Bono may be open to performing the waltz or fox trot, but he does not want to dance to any of his parents’ songs. However, Schwimmer said there is a chance Bono’s mother, Cher, will make an appearance on the show.
Bono may be the most controversial figure ever selected for the ABC TV dance show. Bono, born Chastity is the daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono, and is the first transgender competitor on the hit show.
The transgender activist is taking all the negative comments in stride.
“I really haven’t been paying that much attention to it,” Bono said on this morning’s “Good Morning America.” “I think it's a much bigger deal to everybody else than it is to me."
“I’m just a regular guy. All these ideas that children shouldn’t watch me, I'm going to be confusing, all this stuff, it’s crazy,” he said.
Season 13 of DWTS begins Sept. 19 (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.