PR.com (Allison Kugel): As a judge on Dancing With The Stars, when do you find out who the new celebrity cast will be each season?

Carrie Ann Inaba: One year I did the announcements so I found out ahead of time, [but] I read it online with everybody else.

PR.com: When you find out who the cast is, do you already start sizing them up in your mind, deciding what you think each contestant will be like during the show?

Carrie Ann Inaba: I can tell you who initially excited me, because we haven’t had that sort of person on the show before. Lil’ Kim I’m really excited to see, and Steve-O. Oftentimes in the past they’ve used certain archetypes. This time they’ve kind of gone beyond the archetypes that they’ve normally used, like an athlete or a very young up and coming star, or an older seasoned star. This year I feel like they’ve kind of broken the mold and gone for some unique and very interesting characters.

PR.com: Outside the box.

Carrie Ann Inaba: Yeah, they’re definitely going outside the box, and I think that keeps it exciting for our viewers, and it certainly keeps it exciting for me as a judge.

PR.com: Are you allowed any contact with the celebrity contestants during the rehearsal period, or in between performances?

Carrie Ann Inaba: Nope. In fact our trailers are outside on the other side of the parking lot at the studio where we tape. We’re not allowed in the building while they’re rehearsing and we’re kept very far away from them. And we have different makeup artists and different hair people to keep us separate. Once in a while when we’re walking to the stage there’s this little, sort of bottle neck area where they’re coming from one direction and we’re coming from the other direction, and sometimes it’s awkward.

click to read entire interview with Carrie Ann Inaba