The producers of “Dancing With the Stars” are responding to the controversial casting of Sean Spicer (Season 28) and Adrian Peterson (Season 32), amongst others.

“We’re a foolish ballroom dance present, we’re instructing folks cha cha. The nation is split, so half of the folks could have one political view and the opposite half have the opposite. On the core of it, we at all times simply go for good, good folks,” government producer Deena Katz advised Selection following ABC’s unscripted panel on the Tv Critics Affiliation press tour on Saturday.

Katz added that former White Home press secretary Spicer turned buddies with many members of the solid throughout his time on the present. Nonetheless, there was a substantial amount of controversy amid his casting, with former host Tom Bergeron amongst these expressing disappointment over how the present was being politicized.

“I believe everybody must, for the 2 hours you’re watching, simply take pleasure in this. Take pleasure in somebody’s journey and get to know somebody,” Katz continued. “My hope is that somebody that possibly didn’t like Sean Spicer due to his political affiliation, you’re watching the present, and he’s only a man. I believe what we attempt to do is [show] it’s greater than that, that you simply get to know these folks and you find yourself understanding that there are folks you actually like.”

Government producer Conrad Inexperienced added that the present has leaned much less into political figures lately, as a result of “individuals are exhausted by politics.” However they nonetheless need to characterize folks from completely different cultures: “We’re all Individuals, we’ve all acquired a variety of affinity with one another and making an attempt to indicate how folks can work collectively, compete towards one another in a wholesome, constructive method.”

The newer season of “DWTS” got here underneath fireplace once more for its casting decisions, this time for together with former NFL participant Adrian Peterson (who confronted little one abuse costs up to now). Former professional Sharna Burgess blasted the present for having Peterson be part of it, saying on her podcast that if he had been her associate, “I’d flip round and stroll proper out.”

“We vetted Adrian, we met Adrian. We came upon every thing we wanted to know,” Katz advised Selection. “He went again to play within the NFL, everyone had checked out Adrian. We took that as we did our due diligence. We thought he was a beautiful household man, his spouse is nice and he was a tremendous soccer participant that had a tremendous file.”

The present is not going to “essentially flip somebody down due to some issues they did up to now,” Inexperienced added. “Lots of people make errors of their lives. Typically, we’ve tried to take a broader image about the place they’re at, the place they’re now and have a look at the solid as a complete.”

Katz additionally introduced up that in Season 21, Paula Deen competed on the present only a few years after admitting to utilizing the “N”-word. “On this tradition, that will have been checked out just a little bit extra, however I’m with Conrad. Persons are additionally allowed to make a mistake,” Katz. “And I believe that that’s why Paula got here on, simply to really say, ‘I made a mistake, and I’m sorry.’”

Through the panel, which additionally included producers from “The Bachelor,” “Shark Tank” and “Jeopardy,” Katz admitted that relating to casting, it’s vital to search out people who find themselves very well-known and a few individuals who have a selected, area of interest fan base.

“All of us, sadly, need to do some little bit of that clickbait that will get folks there,” she mentioned. “All of us are nice storytellers. And on the finish of the day, we’re all telling actually good tales.”