Disgraced Olympian Ryan Lochte in talks with Dancing With The Stars #HNNShowbiz

Time Magazine 

Ryan Lochte is in talks to join the celebrities competing on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, a source tells PEOPLE.

While the cast of the latest edition of the reality competition series has yet to be announced and ABC does not comment on casting reports, the source says Lochte may be among the front-runners.


The news comes shortly after Lochte, 32, ignited controversy by fabricating a story about being robbed during his time at the Rio Olympics in August.

"I've been thinking about it a lot, because I have a big heart, and I feel like let down a lot of people," Lochtetold PEOPLE on Wednesday. "I feel bad that I have let people down."

"Everyone started watching it, and they didn't watch the athletes," he continued. "That's another reason why I'm so hurt by it, because it took away from the Games."

Lochte was dropped by sponsors Speedo and Ralph Lauren in the wake of the incident, and he's facing further punishment from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Lochte, who won his 12th medal at the Rio games, told NBC's Billy Bush ahead of the second week of Olympic events that he and three other Team U.S.A. swimmers were robbed at gunpoint in Rio.

After prodding from Brazilian police, however, Lochte admitted to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that he had "made up" the robbery. Instead, the group had been confronted by a security guard after allegedly vandalizing a gas station bathroom.

"The part I made up was saying that it was a robbery. I think the word 'robbery' shocked a lot of people, and the story went viral after that," he told PEOPLE. "A gun was pulled, and we had to give them cash. If I didn't say 'robbery,' none of this would have happened."

Subsequently, Lochte told PEOPLE he apologized to his teammates, James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, who had been held in Brazil for questioning in relation to the swimmer's comments.

Dancing with the Stars wouldn't be Lochte's first foray into reality television: he starred onbrief E! series What Would Ryan Lochte Do? in 2013.

The show chronicled the life of the American swimmer as he prepared for Rio.

Season 23 of DWTS premieres Sept. 12 on ABC.

With files from MSN

CTV GIVES US HEAD TO HEAD COVERAGE OF THE SEASON FINALES OF AMERICAN IDOL AND DANCING WITH THE STARS!

CTV takes centre stage and shows off the biggest and brightest talent on television right now with a three-night, six-hour, back-to-back star-studded finale extravaganza, beginning this holiday Monday, May 24.

DANCING WITH THE STARS, the #1 show on /A\, comes to a close as fan favourites Erin Andrews, Evan Lysacek and Nicole Scherzinger compete for the coveted mirror ball trophy during the final performance show of the season on Monday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV. Then, on Tuesday, May 25, it’s three hours of event television on CTV with the head-to-head singing showdown on AMERICAN IDOL at 8 p.m. ET followed by the two-hour season finale of DANCING WITH THE STARS at 9 p.m. ET.

Finally, on Wednesday, May 26 at 8 p.m. ET, Simon Cowell makes his final remarks from the judging panel on the two-hour season finale of AMERICAN IDOL live from the Nokia Theatre in L.A. Thanks to Ashley Applebaum and Amy Doary as always for giving HipHossip the heads up.

MYA IS STILL ROCKING ON DWTS!

Mya On Dancing With The Stars Week 2!

INJURED JEWEL FACES SPRING IN A WHEELCHAIR!

Singer JEWEL is set to spend the spring in a wheelchair - her dancing injury is so severe she has lost the ability to walk unaided. The Face of Love singer has been forced to withdraw from U.S. TV show Dancing With the Stars after suffering a fractured tibia in both legs during rehearsals. The singer was initially diagnosed with tendinitis, but her injury is much more serious - and now she's hobbling around on crutches and faces weeks in a wheelchair.

She says, "I am on crutches and, if my right leg gets worse, I will be in a wheelchair." Jewel is still devastated about having to sit out of the dance contest, which debuts in America next week She tells In Touch Weekly magazine, "I did my MRI and pulled up my pant leg to get my shot, and the doctor came in and said, 'You are finished, you cannot dance and you cannot walk.'"

Who the hell picks these guys as contestants? Obviously because you dance on concert stages doesn't mean you can do ballroom dancing?

L'IL KIM , BELINDA CARLISLE AMONG NEW DANCING WITH THE STARS CONTESTANTS.

There was so much going on last nite that nobody watched nothing but the Grammys I hear. The new contestants were all announced on Extreme Makeover. Rounding out the celebrity lineup will be the youngest contestant ever on the show, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, 17. Also ready to rumba are pop star Belinda Carlisle, actress Denise Richards, former NFL star Lawrence Taylor, rapper Lil’ Kim, Jackass star Steve-O, Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, actors David Alan Grier and Gilles Marini, and Access Hollywood co-host Nancy O’Dell.

An ABC spokesperson says the remaining professional dancer/celebrity pairings will be announced on Thursday, February 12. Dancing’s eighth season premieres March 9 on ABC.

Hope Kim has some better outfits on. LOL!