NEW YORK – The cast of MTV's hit reality show "Jersey Shore" isn't going anywhere.
"We love the present cast, and their summer adventures have just begun. We currently have no plans to recast the show," the network said in a statement Friday, refuting earlier reports that said the current cast would be replaced following the show's fifth season.
US Weekly had cited a source earlier Friday saying, "After this group comes back from Italy and shoots season five this summer, that will be the end for them." The source also said a new cast would be considerably cheaper for the network, with current cast members making a reported $100,000 per episode.
Spinoff series are in the works for "Jersey Shore" favorites such as Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "J-WOWW" Farley and Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio, though they are expected to continue to take part in the original series as well.
According to Polizzi, 23, her new show, co-starring her housemate and best friend Farley, 25, will be "kind of like Paris [Hilton] and Nicole [Richie], but like 20 times better and tan."
The reality series, featuring a group of housemates on the Jersey Shore, has been a huge hit for MTV, with Polizzi's signature hair-poof and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's abs becoming cultural phenomena. The show followed the cast to Miami in season two, back to New Jersey for the third season, then to Italy where the stars have just wrapped up filming season four.
Season five starts shooting Monday in New Jersey, according to TMZ.
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