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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Lewis Knight

Tiger King's Carole Baskin on why she chose DWTS over I'm A Celeb and Strictly

Animal rights activist Carole Baskin has explained why she chose to take part in Dancing with the Stars.

The Big Cat Rescue CEO, 59, rose to fame for her role in Netflix docuseries Tiger King, which charted her dramatic rivalry with zookeeper Joe Exotic.

Since becoming something of a household name since the show became a hit earlier this year, Carole has received a great deal of media attention, and she has also turned down a number of shows.

Carole revealed to Mirror Online: "After Tiger King I was approached by more than 190 media outlets and turned them all down."

The Tiger King star also explained the circumstances of her deciding to join the US dancing competition Dancing with the Stars.

Carole Baskin explains why she chose to appear on Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

"My daughter asked me to reconsider Dancing With The Stars, so I heard them out," comments Carole.

"They are animal lovers there and I believe they will help me get the message out to their viewers that wild cats don't belong in cages and we need to protect them in the wild."

The Big Cat Rescue CEO stated that she believes the UK has a better record on animal rights than the US.

"The UK is already far ahead of the US in that realm," she notes.

Carole also once again doubled down on her reason for not doing a show such as I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! on similar principles

"I strive toward veganism and am an animal advocate," says Carole, "so there is no amount of money or fame that could entice me to eat living creatures for other's amusement."

The reason why she would not take part in Strictly Come Dancing instead of Dancing with the Stars was actually for two very important reasons.

Carole surprised viewers when she signed up to the show (ABC, @GMA/Twitter)

Carole divulges: "As for choosing the US based version of DWTS over the UK version, it's a matter of both logistics and the fact that I was asked by the US company and not the UK one."

Could Carole be the one to take home the Mirrorball trophy on the US show?

Of her training for the show, Carole noted: "It's going Grrrreat!"

Dancing with the Stars begins in the US on September 14, 2020 on ABC, while Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is available now on Netflix.

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