FOX Carolina's Margaret-Ann Carter Trades News Desk for Dance Floor in 'Dancing with the Palmetto Stars'

From Breaking News to Break Steps: A Local Anchor's Charity Challenge

Margaret-Ann Carter will co-anchor FOX Carolina's 10 p.m. newscast on September 12—then spend the following eight weeks learning to cha-cha, waltz, and jive for a cause that hits close to home.

The anchor, who joined FOX Carolina's morning team in 2019 before moving to evening newscasts in 2022, was announced Tuesday as one of eight local celebrities competing in this year's Dancing with the Palmetto Stars. The annual fundraiser pairs prominent Upstate figures with professional dancers for a live competition benefiting Prisma Health Children's Hospital.

Carter's dance resume? "Weddings, one office holiday party, and an ill-advised attempt at the Electric Slide at my cousin's reception," she said. "I'm starting from absolute zero."

Her professional partner, Marcus Chen of Greenville's Academy of Dance and Fine Arts, has competed nationally in Latin ballroom and has trained three previous Palmetto Stars contestants. He has until the October 14 gala at the Peace Center to transform Carter into a competitive performer.

"Margaret-Ann has good natural rhythm from her broadcasting background—she knows timing and how to work an audience," Chen said. "But we're building everything else from the ground up. Three hours a day, six days a week."

A Decade of Impact, Now Facing a Shortfall

The event has raised more than $2.8 million for the hospital since its 2014 launch, including $340,000 last year for the pediatric oncology unit and child life specialist program, according to Palmetto Health Foundation executive director Patricia Okonkwo.

This year's $400,000 goal faces headwinds. Corporate sponsorships are down 15 percent from 2023, and individual ticket sales have lagged through July.

"These funds don't supplement care—they define what we're able to provide," Okonkwo said. "The child life specialists, the art therapy program, the family emergency fund for parents who can't afford gas to visit their child. That's what this event makes possible."

Carter said she was initially hesitant when event organizers approached her in June. She changed her mind after touring the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit and meeting families who had used the emergency assistance fund.

"I report on this community every night," she said. "This is a chance to do something more direct, more vulnerable, more human than reading a teleprompter. Also, my producer said she'd never let me live it down if I said no."

The Competition Field

Carter joins a lineup that includes Greenville Swamp Rays forward Derek Hollins, WYFF meteorologist Sandra Cho, and former Clemson linebacker Marcus Whitfield. Each celebrity was selected based on community visibility and willingness to commit to the intensive training schedule, said event founder and producer Elaine Voss.

"We specifically wanted someone from the FOX Carolina evening team because that viewership demographic—families with children—aligns perfectly with our mission," Voss said. "Margaret-Ann was our first choice. She has the work ethic and the genuine connection to this community."

Whitfield, who competed in the 2019 event and finished third, offered blunt advice to the newcomer.

"Your feet will hurt in ways you didn't know possible," he said. "Your partner will become your therapist, your drill sergeant, and your best friend. And when you finally nail that turn you've been missing for three weeks, it's better than any touchdown."

How to Follow—and Support

The October 14 gala begins at 7 p.m. at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville. Tickets range from $75 for balcony seating to $250 for floor tables, available through the Peace Center box office and online at palmettostars.org.

Audience votes count for 40 percent of each couple's final score, with a panel of three judges— including two-time U.S. National DanceSport champion Olivia Reyes—determining the remainder. Voting opens September 30 through the event website, with each $5 donation counting as one vote, capped at 50 votes per person.

Carter plans to document her training on FOX Carolina's social media channels and in weekly segments during the 6 p.m. newscast starting September 16.

"I've covered political scandals, natural disasters, and a raccoon that got stuck in a vending machine," she said. "None of it prepared me for the terror of a spin turn in front of 2,000 people. But if it means one more family gets help when they need it most, I'll risk the embarrassment."

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