Carson Kressley to Host Animal Planet’s ‘Great American Groom-A-Long’ (Exclusive)

Thanks to the novel coronavirus pandemic, folks at home are being forced to give themselves haircuts, do their own manicures — and groom their own pets. And that includes some famous faces as well.

Animal Planet is putting that DIY pet grooming front and center in a new special, The Great American Groom-A-Long, which will be hosted by Carson Kressley. The special, premiering at 10 p.m. Saturday, will find professional groomers guiding a group of famous pet owners over Zoom. 

In addition, viewers will learn dos and don’ts for their own pets, including how to trim a dog’s nails, the best shampoo to use and how to brush unruly fur.

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From his horse farm in Pennsylvania, Kressley will oversee the professional groomers as they virtually instruct the famous pet owners via multiple web cameras, which will be positioned to capture grooming successes — and fails. 

Joining Kressley will be actor Dennis Quaid and his miniature bulldog, Peaches; singer Aubrey O’Day with dogs Mary Ann (Pomeranian) and Ginger (Maltese); eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno and his girlfriend, actress Bianca Stam, along with their dog Sesame (terrier mix); and Kym Herjavec (Dancing With the Stars) and Robert Herjavec (Shark Tank) with dog Lola (bichon frise/Pomeranian mix).

In addition, pediatric emergency medical physician Chesy Nichols will learn how to provide a “spa day” for her long-haired Alaskan malamute, Nakita. 

Groomers participating in the special include Jorge Bendersky, author of DIY Dog Grooming, From Puppy Cuts to Best in Show, Everything you Need to Know; creative pet stylist Milena Kon, owner of mobile grooming service Driving Me Knots and pet accessories store DMK Bowtique; and Christine Keesee, a dog and cat groomer who is passionate about creative grooming, competitive grooming and Asian fusion styles. Each groomer provides key information and easy-to-follow groom-along tips for good health and the best looks for many breeds of dogs and cats.

Footage used in the special was recorded by Kressley, the groomers and pet owners while working safely and remotely. Viewers also can watch the special via the Animal Planet GO app.

The special is produced for Animal Planet by Critical Content, where Tom Forman, Jenny Daly, Matthew Pickel and David Metzler serve as executive producers. For Animal Planet, Lisa Lucas is executive producer with Patrick Keegan as supervising producer.

Watch a preview below.