Dancing With The Stars producers aren't quite ready fora same-sex couple on the ballroom floor after Portia de Rossi didn't pan out, according to reports.
"If Portia agreed, this would have been a done deal," an ABC insider says.
Ellen DeGeneres' actress wife "was the only star that really could have pulled this off without completely offending the program's conservative viewers."
Ellen still dances a lot on her show, at least.
Portia was rumored to be going Dancing next year, but turned down overtures from the network for unknown reasons. As a result, the show "isn't in a rush to have a same-sex dancing couple just to get attention and publicity."
The show has a soft spot for stunt casting - Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin are just the newest, best examples - but DWTS isn't out to push the envelope.
"With all the debate going on about Don't Ask, Don't Tell now, this would have been the perfect time to do this," one Hollywood casting director said.
"Yet, Dancing With the Stars has never been about pushing the envelope. It's a huge hit precisely because it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable."
Some sources feel the backlash over Palin's surprising finals run on the show caught producers by surprise and they're looking to avoid conflict.
"After Bristol, I predict it will be the most boring stars next season," an insider says. "When you have a hit this big, everyone is scared to mess it up."
What do you think of same-sex DWTS partners?