Give it up to Cathy, Everyone! She was able to attend the Good Morning America Dancing With The Stars Cast Reveal on Monday in New York City. Derek might not have been there, but, Cathy was able to see and talk with Bindi. Below she tells us all about it. She also sent us some fun photos and video. Enjoy! ((((Miss Heidi and I can’t thank you enough, CATHY!)))) This is so cool!
What an awesome experience it was to attend the GMA DWTS Cast Reveal for S21 live in Times Square, NYC, on 9/2/15! This was my first time attending such a special event, and it was a great deal of fun and so exciting!
Just before 8am, a group of pros and celebrities made their grand entrance onto the GMA plaza, and the audience began cheering for them as they arrived. Derek was not among that group, so I thought that perhaps he, along with a few other pros and celebrities who were missing, would be in the next wave of cast members to arrive shortly. Afterall, why not save the best for last?! Meanwhile, during the time up until the cast reveal segment, which was scheduled to air at 8:15, all the pros and celebrities, along with Tom Bergeron, interacted and mingled with the studio audience…talking with us and taking lots of selfies! And it was fun watching them as they enjoyed interacting with one another! At one point we even watched Tony and Louis playfully dancing together, and then Keo and Bindi began to dance together!! It was all so spontaneous and so priceless! They all…pros and celebrities alike…went out of their way to entertain us while we stood waiting! The GMA staff also gave us paddles…one that read “ABC GMA DWTS Cast Reveal” and the other had a perfect “10” score written on it…to add to the overall festivities of the occasion. Shortly later one of the staff came out carrying this season’s MBT…yeah, THE coveted MBT, and what a stunning award it was to see in person! And to think…Derek won 5 of these gorgeous pieces, and hopefully 6 after this season! But during this time there was still no sign of Derek. I kept expecting him to arrive at any time, so I remained very aware of my surroundings! I must add that when the pros and celebrities first entered the plaza, there was a lot of cheering and excitement, but the SCREAMING that Derek gets when he’s anywhere in sight…there was none of that! The way Derek fans would scream when he would exit the stage door after NYSS or MOVE…there’s nothing quite like it! And it was awesome to see some Derek fans in the crowd…one group was holding up some creative handmade posters for him! So I felt like he was definitely there in spirit!
Throughout this pre-cast reveal time, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and talk with Bindi for a few moments! What an absolute sweetheart she is!! She is most gracious, personable, and vibrant, and she showed her appreciation for all of our support. I wished her and Derek all the best this season and told her I knew they’d do very well together. I also mentioned the team name TeamHoughWin and told her that I like that name a lot for them! I said I’d be voting for them till the end…till they win…as the name implies! That name really says it all! Everything that Derek has said about Bindi…that she is so positive and that she has a sense of wonderment, joy, and life, and how she makes you want to be a better person…well, I witnessed all that firsthand, and I felt that magical feeling as well. What a truly beautiful feeling! Her gorgeous smile never left her face the whole time she was out on the plaza…when she greeted fans, interacted with fellow cast members during commercial breaks, and during her interview. Throughout the entire show she just radiated so much positive energy. What an absolutely perfect partnership this is between Derek and Bindi. They are so different, yet they are so similar…and that’s what makes this whole partnership so fascinating and meaningful. She is truly an extraordinary young lady!
What I found very interesting and lots of fun was watching the pros, celebrities, Tom, the GMA staff, and the audience interact with one another during the commercial breaks. It gave everyone a chance to unwind and relax for a few moments, and the cast would come out into the audience again for more selfies! That was also when the stage/production crew could rearrange the set for the next segment. It was awesome to see all the behind-the-scenes moments live! Special moments like these that are not televised are truly priceless!
Overall, it was a truly awesome experience! To see all the big bright lights and signs over the GMA studio announcing the cast reveal live was breathtaking, plus another building on the other side of Times Square had HUGE lighted signs marking this big announcement as well. And it was so interesting to be surrounded by such a diverse group of people. I heard accents from England and France and had the opportunity to talk with a lovely family visiting from Switzerland. That’s why Times Square is referred to as “The Crossroads of the World”! I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this amazing experience and celebrating this joyous occasion with everyone! Derek’s presence was sorely missed, but it was a true blessing for me to meet his charming partner, Bindi Irwin! I wish Derek and Bindi all the best and sending them lots of love this season. I look forward to watching them perform magic on the dance floor. Their journey is going to be most enlightening.
Bindi isn’t in this first video, but she is in the second two… ~Heidi
DWTS 21 Cast Announcement 1 by dereklvr1013
DWTS 21 Cast Announcement 2 by dereklvr1013
DWTS 21 Cast Announcement 3 by dereklvr1013
Miss Heidi and Vogue, thank you both so very much for all the time and effort you put into preparing and posting my blog, pics, and videos for both sites! You did an outstanding job as always, and it all came out beautifully! Many thanks!
Cathy, thanks for always taking us along for the ride on your adventures! A blog from you is as close as some of us will get to attending a celebrity reveal at GMA! Your account of the events of the morning held such detail, we feel as if we were really there! We could feel your anxiety when groups kept arriving from DWTS but no Derek! But one never knows what he may be up to or what surprises he has up his sleeve.
Sorry you did not get to see or talk with him. However, it was great that you met and talked with Bindi! Loved the encouraging dialogue you had with her! She was fortunate to make your acquaintance.
The photos are very good. Your description of the things which were taking place was so all inclusive, when I watched the videos it was as if I had already seen them!
You know how I love BTS information. So reading what you brought back for us was really my cup of tea!!! 
I so appreciate the time, thought and effort you put into writing this piece for us! Even though I had recorded and watched the entire show, I found the content of your article new, interesting and exciting! You really should consider becoming a journalist, my dear!
Vogue, thank you for bring Cathy’s sweet masterpiece to us fans! It was brilliant and thoughtfully written! You and Heidi continue to maintain this wonderful PDH Website in a most efficient manner. You bring items of great interest to our screens everyday. This fan always looks forward to checking in, knowing a reward is just a click away! xoxo
Rose, thank you so much for your high praise and lovely compliments always. You are a huge cheerleader of mine, and I truly appreciate all your kindness and support!
Thanks also for calling my blog a masterpiece, but I wouldn’t quite go that far!! LOL!!
I told Heidi and Vogue that I’d do a brief write-up…a paragraph or two, just to accompany my pics and videos. So I focused on keeping it short! But if Derek had been there, it would have been a completely different story! 
BTW, Vogue posted another version of my blog on their PureDWTS site, along with a lot more pics. The pics here are strictly Derek-Bindi related. On PureDWTS there’s a much larger variety. Just thought I’d let you know in case you want to see more of this special occasion.
Thanks again for everything. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Oh Cathy… you did go to see GMA…. I wondered if you were going to make the trip.
Thank you so much for the lovely Blog and of course for the videos….Yes, too bad our dear boy Derek was not there,,,but you sure captured lovely pictures of Bindi..
Bindi sure does look like she is enjoying every minute so far, and that is marvelous.
Thanks Vogue for posting this lovely treat from Cathy…the roving reporter..LOL
Rosemary, thank you so much for your lovely words! “Roving reporter”…LOL!!!
You’re so funny! I so missed Derek not being there…after all, he was the purpose of my trip. But the happiness and joy that I gained from meeting Bindi was so worth it! What a real special treat it was to meet her. She brought so much life and joy to the whole occasion. Thanks again for your kind words and support always! 
Oh Cathy… you did go to see GMA…. I wondered if you were going to make the trip.
Thank you so much for the lovely Blog and of course for the videos….Yes, too bad our dear boy Derek was not there,,,but you sure captured lovely pictures of Bindi..
Bindi sure does look like she is enjoying every minute so far and that is marvelous.
Thanks Vogue for posting this little treat from Cathy’s….the roving reporter..LOL
Oops, it’s a repeat. Sorry
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I enjoyed seeing Bindi and the new cast of DWTS but I truly missed seeing Derek on the show. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if Derek was there.
Oh, I missed Derek a lot, too! His absence was clearly felt. But it was absolutely wonderful meeting Bindi…she’s such a sweetheart. What a beautiful partnership!