Chaz Bono said it would be "very exciting" to have his mom, entertainer Cher, and others in his family at "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bono told People.com Cher intended to cheer him on Monday night.

"She texted me right before [last] Monday's show and said, 'I wanted people to be able to feel your presence and not take away from that and I think you've made your presence known now,'" Bono told the celebrity news Web site. "So I texted her back and I said, 'OK, so if I make it through this week that means you'll come to Monday's show?' And she said, 'Yes.'"

Bono, a gay-rights activist and the show's first transgender contestant, is professional dancer Lacey Schwimmer's partner in the competition.

"It's very exciting," Bono said, referring to the special guests coming to see him. "My mom and my step-mom Mary Bono Mack are coming, along with my aunt and uncle and my brother. It will be a real family affair."