Paula Abdul to Join DWTS: ALL STARS as 'Special Judge'

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World famous choreographer and recording artist Paula Abdul will pull up a seat at the judges' table as a special guest judge during next week's DANCING WITH THE STARS: ALL STARS, MONDAY, OCTOBER 15 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. She will be joining renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba as they critique and score the remaining All-Star couples on their dance routines of the night.

Paula Abdul has been awarded and celebrated both in front of and behind the camera as a ground-breaking choreographer, producer, songwriter, performer, designer, actor and business woman. The two-time Emmy Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist has continued to find new ways to entertain her loyal fans for over 25 years. Beginning her career as a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader, she quickly became widely known for "re-inventing" cheerleading. During her time with the Lakers, Abdul was recruited by the top music artists, directors and producers in the world to choreograph their music videos, tours and films. Her most celebrated work in choreography includes her Emmy-winning contributions to "The Tracey Ullman Show" and her own performance as an artist opening the "American Music Awards," as well as an Emmy nomination for choreographing "The 62nd Academy Awards." After releasing her first CD, "Forever Your Girl," Abdul became a multi-platinum singing sensation. She has won multiple musical awards, including a Grammy, seven MTV Video Awards, two Emmy Awards and two People's Choice Awards, and has sold over 60 million records worldwide. After saying goodbye to "American Idol" in 2010 and serving as executive producer and creative partner for the reality-competition series "Live to Dance," she returned to network television in the US launch of "The X-Factor." More recently Abdul has become one of the top public speakers in the industry, touring the country to bring her own passion, drive and work experiences to the lives of those walking the halls of companies throughout America. She has recently signed on with Avon and is the official spokesperson for Fembody Nutrition.

Hosted by Emmy Award winner Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Brooke Burke-Charvet ("Dancing with the Stars" Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 60 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" performance shows. AT&T customers may also vote by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Online voting at www.ABC.com is open from the start of each episode on the East Coast and closes at 8:00 a.m., PT/11:00 a.m., ET on Tuesday mornings. Additionally, fans can now vote on Facebook www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars. A custom Facebook app sponsored by AT&T will let fans vote, share who they voted for and why, as well as see who friends voted for. They can also access the "After Party: Dancing with the Stars" live stream, the DWTS Social Buzz page, and the AT&T Spotlight Performance and Casting Call from the app.

"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are co-executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.

About BBC Worldwide Productions

BBC Worldwide Productions is one of five core businesses under BBC Worldwide America, the U.S. division of the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC Worldwide. Led by Jane Tranter, BBC Worldwide Productions is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The Production Company is responsible for the smash hit "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC), as well as "Breaking Pointe" (CW), "Top Gear" (HISTORY), "Richard Hammond's Crash Course" (BBC AMERICA), "What Not to Wear" (TLC), "Torchwood: Miracle Day" (Starz) and the upcoming titles "Da Vinci's Demons" (Starz), "The Week the Women Went" (Lifetime) and "Lovetown, USA" (OWN), among others.