Ann Romney has turned down an offer to appear as a contestant on ABC's celebrity dance competition "Dancing With the Stars," according to
TMZ reports.
Speculation about Romney as a contestant swirled after she was spotted in late November at the live finale of "DWTS."
"[I'm] a huge fan," Romney told Inside Edition backstage during the show. "And it was a surprise. We had my granddaughter come with us. And my daughter-in-law, it was her 40th birthday present."
A rep for Romney told TMZ that the one-time potential first lady was approached shortly after her husband lost the election and, although she was reportedly "very interested" and "seriously considering" it, she ultimately declined to appear on the show. Romney's rep gave no reason as to why she chose not to participate, but said she only considered the offer in the context of her love of dance and the show, according to
ABC News.
Romney's son Matt, who went with his mother to last season's finale, took to Twitter Monday to voice his opinion on Ann's decision not to dance.
It wouldn’t have been Ann Romney's first encounter with live television and ABC in particular. While her husband was on the campaign trail this past fall, she guest hosted ABC's "Good Morning America."
Ann Romney also wouldn’t have been the first politically charged persona to take on "DWTS." Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay appeared on the fall 2009 season, though he ultimately had to drop out because of an injury. Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol, has performed on two rounds on the show — first in season 11, when she placed third, and then again on the "All Star" season.
Producers for DWTS have tried courting former potential first ladies before. In her memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics," Meghan McCain revealed that her mom, Cindy, had been asked but, like Ann Romney, said no.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.