Classical Singer Katherine Jenkins Performing for Charity in the U.K. in 2003... and Katherine Jenkins on <em>Dancing with the Stars</em>
American audiences may not have been familiar with
Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins before she hit the
Dancing floor, but her graceful routines and sweet personality have quickly won her many fans. She has performed around the world (including the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Concert) and sung on numerous TV shows—notably the British version of
DWTS,
Strictly Come Dancing. “I have a lot of history with the show,” Jenkins says. “Whilst singing, I've been in prime position to observe the dancing.... My admiration has been huge and I can't believe I'm going to be learning to dance myself!” Jenkins has dabbled in acting as well, appearing on the 2010
Doctor Who Christmas special.
Will She Win? The fact that she’s an unfamiliar face to most viewers may work against her, but Jenkins and her pro partner, Mark Ballas, have consistently earned some of the highest scores from the judges (they recently
won the Motown dance marathon going head-to-head with their competitors). Besides, Jenkins is lovely to watch and seems humble and charming, all of which should earn her votes. Ballas, a 10-time
DWTS vet, has won the title twice, with Kristi Yamaguchi in season 6 and Shawn Johnson in season 8. These two are currently looking like the team to beat this year.