Tom Bergeron (born May 6, 1955) is an American television personality and game show host, best known as the host of the ABC reality series Dancing with the Stars (2005–present) and host of America's Funniest Home Videos (2001–present). He was also host of Hollywood Squares (1998–2004) and a fill-in host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He is a Daytime Emmy winner.

Bergeron was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His first job in broadcasting was as a disc jockey at local radio station WHAV, in his home town of Haverhill, Massachusetts. He became a popular radio DJ in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire in the early 1980s on Portsmouth's WHEB, where he played comedy records along with music and offbeat interviews. His popularity led to additional TV and radio auditions.

One of his first jobs on television was as host of a local game show, Granite State Challenge, on New Hampshire Public Television (produced at NHPTV flagship station WENH-TV). He moved to the Boston market in February 1982, joining WBZ-TV as a general on-air personality. His early roles at the station included being a contributor on Evening Magazine (1982–87), and hosting brief informational and show preview segments known as 4 Today, every 30 minutes during WBZ's daytime lineup (1983–87). In 1984, he landed the hosting spot on Lottery Live, the nightly drawings of the Massachusetts State Lottery games. By January 1987, while still working in these roles, Bergeron added People Are Talking to his duties. He replaced outgoing host Buzz Luttrell on the early afternoon talk show, where he gained even more popularity. While Ron Cantera took over as host of 4 Today (until its cancellation in 1988), Bergeron remained lottery host until drawings moved to WNEV-TV in September 1987.

Kristen Mary "Kris" Jenner (née Houghton; formerly Kardashian; born November 5, 1955) is an American television personality, socialite and businesswoman. She also is the manager for all of her family members, including Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian. She is the current wife of 1976 Summer Olympic Games Decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner and was married previously to lawyer Robert Kardashian; they divorced in 1990.

Kris Jenner was born Kristen Mary Houghton in San Diego, California, the daughter of Mary Jo (née Campbell) of Scottish descent and Robert Houghton, an engineer of Dutch descent. She has a sister, Karen. Her parents divorced when she was age seven, and she and her sister were raised by her mother.

Kris married first husband, lawyer Robert Kardashian (widely known for his early representation of O.J. Simpson) on July 8, 1978, when she was 22 years old. Kris was a housewife while her children were growing up. Robert filed for divorce in 1990. Robert Kardashian died September 30, 2003, two months after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Whoopi Goldberg ( /ˈhwʊpi/, born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.

Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple (1985) playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award for her role in the film. In 1990, she starred as Oda Mae Brown, a psychic helping a slain man (Patrick Swayze) find his killer in the blockbuster film Ghost. This performance won her a second Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Notable later films include Sister Act and Sister Act 2, The Lion King, Made in America, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Girl, Interrupted and Rat Race. She is also acclaimed for her roles as the bartender Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Terry Doolittle in Jumpin' Jack Flash. More recently, she had performed the voice of Stretch in Toy Story 3 and made an appearance in Glee as Carmen Tibideaux.

Jay Ferguson Cox Mohr (born Jon Ferguson Mohr; August 23, 1970) is an American actor and stand up comedian. He is known for his role as Professor Rick Payne in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, the title role in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried, which ran from 2008 to 2010, as a featured player for two seasons on the long running sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and the back-stabbing sports agent Bob Sugar in Jerry Maguire. Mohr could also be known for his near-identical impersonation of actor Christopher Walken.

Mohr was born in Verona, New Jersey. His mother, Jean (née Ferguson), is a nurse, and his father, Jon Wood Mohr, is a marketing executive. He has two sisters, Julia and Virginia.

Mohr appeared as a featured player for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons of Saturday Night Live. His 2004 memoir, Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live (ISBN 1-4013-0006-5), details this tumultuous period of his life, including his battle with chronic panic attacks. Though his potential was appreciated by SNL creator/producer Lorne Michaels, Mohr was impatient with his progression to full cast member, and left the show on bad terms. He has since reconciled with Michaels.

Maksim (Maks) Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (Ukrainian: Максим Олекса́ндрович Чмерковський, Maksym Oleksándrovych Čmerkovsʹkyj, pronounced [mɑkˈsɪm olɛkˈsɑndroβ̞ɪtʃ ˈtʃmɛrkou̯sʲkɪj]; Russian: Максим Александрович Чмерковский; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two. In his ten appearances on the show, Chmerkovskiy has made it to the final round four times, with two runner-up and two third place finishes.

Born on January 17, 1980, in Odessa (Ukraine) to Aleksandr and Larisa Chmerkovskiy, he began dancing at the age of four. His brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, is also a champion dancer. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian. Chmerkovskiy's Ukrainian heritage was referenced on an episode of Dancing with the Stars.

The challenges of immigration for Chmerkovskiy and his family included financial and language barriers. A skiing accident as a child broke Chmerkovskiy's right leg. Doctors informed him that there would be difficulties with his leg and that dancing might not be possible. He made a successful recovery and went on to become a professional Latin Ballroom dancer.