When Dancing With The Stars premiered in the summer of 2005, viewers were excited to see a new type of series where celebrities paired with a professional dancer to learn dances that they have never done before. But the pairings wouldn't just be getting fan votes to win the competition - they would also be judged by people who have had a lot of experience and knowledge of dancing. The three judges at the start of the series where Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. The series' judging panel changed slightly for DWTS 2020, but Carrie Ann is one of the two judges that has remained on the show since the very first season.
Carrie Ann first got her start as a singer when she won a talent competition in Hawaii as an 18-years-old woman. She then went on to be a pop star in Japan, living in Tokyo between 1986 and 1988. After that brief period of time, she returned to the United States. Once she returned to the US, she appeared as one of the backup dancers known as "The Fly Girls" on the sketch comedy series In Living Color, from 1990 to 1992.
After her time on In Living Color, longtime Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba went on to make a few acting appearances in films such as Austin Powers: Goldmember. According to her bio on ABC, Carrie Ann first captured the viewers' attention through her choreography work on shows like American Idol, American Juniors, and Dance Fever, in which she also served as the backstage host. She also has credits for choreographing dancers performing at The TV Land Awards and on The Kids Choice Awards. Since 2005, Carrie Ann has been a judge on DWTS, never missing a single season.
Despite being a judge on Dancing With The Stars, dance is not the only thing that Carrie Ann has a passion for. For instance, she has also created The Animal Project Foundation, an organization that provides funding to grassroots animal rescue organizations, assists animals with medical expenses, fosters high-risk animals, and provides access to free spay and neuter services. Carrie Ann has also become one of the main co-hosts on The Talk since season 9, after Julie Chen-Moonves announced that she would not be returning. Carrie Ann returned as one of the co-hosts for season 10.
When it comes to judging on DWTS, it's safe to say that Carrie Ann enjoys her job there quite a bit. It is unknown if she'll leave the judging panel anytime soon, but with how little changes the show had in the judging panel throughout the years, it would come as a shock if she decided not to return or was ever fired by the producers.
Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays at 8PM EST on ABC.
Source: ABC, The Animal Project Foundation