14 Celebrities You Forgot Were On Dancing With The Stars
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Dancing with the Stars has captivated audiences since its debut in 2005, bringing together a diverse array of celebrities from various fields to compete in a dance competition. With its mix of glamour, talent, and drama, the show has aired for over 30 seasons, featuring nearly 400 contestants who have dazzled viewers with their dance moves. Each season not only showcases the contestants’ dancing abilities but also offers an insight into their personalities and journeys, which often includes surprising twists and turns.
Many fans often forget some of the notable names that have graced the dance floor over the years. From actors and musicians to athletes and reality stars, Dancing with the Stars has welcomed a variety of personalities, each bringing their unique flair to the competition. While some contestants have left a lasting impression, others have slipped through the cracks of public memory, making it easy to overlook their participation in this iconic show.
As we reflect on the multitude of stars who have taken the plunge into the world of dance, let’s revisit some of the most memorable and surprising contestants from the past. Whether they shone brightly or stumbled through their routines, each celebrity brought their own story and energy to the show, contributing to its legacy. Here’s a look at 14 celebrities you might have forgotten were on Dancing with the Stars.
Baywatch star Pamela Anderson appeared on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with professional dancer Damian Whitewood. Appearing as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the actor shared that she was asked to be on the show multiple times but declined. However, she was ready to give it a go in 2010. "I just thought it would be fun. I want to learn how to dance, number one. I’ve never danced in my life, I’ve never taken a lesson, I’ve always wanted to," Anderson shared, jokingly adding that she was among the first celebrity contestants to ask for higher heels when competing.
Anderson certainly did okay for someone who never had a dance lesson. Her final performance with Whitewood was the waltz before she was eliminated 6th. In an interview with ABC, Anderson shared that she continued dancing with Whitewood nationwide two years after her elimination. In the same interview, she also announced that she was chosen to compete in Season 15's Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars edition. Although having just danced on the show for Season 10, the former Playboy star was eliminated first after dancing the cha-cha-cha with partner Tristan MacManus. Before getting booted off, she told People, "I know I’m not the best dancer, but I have a lot of heart and I have a lot of guts, and I want to be able to portray that."
Kim Kardashian was rated one of the show’s worst dancers
You never see major A-list celebrities on Dancing with the Stars. With their busy schedules, there is no way they can take months off to learn how to master different dance techniques. So, while it’s hard to believe that Kim Kardashian would ever participate in the dance competition, think again.
Viewers of the long-running show may remember Kardashian participating back in Season 7, which took place in 2008. A year before, the SKIMS founder and her famous family debuted their reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. After it was announced that she would be dancing with professional dancer Mark Ballas, Kardashian took to her MySpace to share her excitement and that she had already been preparing dance routines with Ballas. "Of course I have my moments where I lose my balance or I lose my place, and some days are better than others," she shared on the social media platform.
Unfortunately, Kardashian was subpar in her performances, especially when she and Ballas took on the mambo in Week 2 with the fitting song "Baby Got Back." Viewers even labeled her as one of the worst celebrity dancers on the show. Kardashian only got to show off her moves for three dance routines and became the third contestant to be eliminated, ending up in 11th place.
Mark Cuban gained notoriety after his DWTS appearance
Before Mark Cuban gained fame as a panel member on Shark Tank, he was known as a billionaire businessman and owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He competed in the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered in 2007, and was partnered with professional dancer Kym Johnson. However, Cuban’s dance skills unfortunately didn’t get him far in the competition, and he and Johnson were the fifth couple eliminated after performing the samba to the song "I Dream of Jeannie."
In an interview with Today, Cuban had nothing but good things to say about his experience on the show. However, he did reveal that players on the Mavericks poked fun at him at first for participating. That said, after they watched Cuban compete week after week, they understood the intensity of it. "And what I later heard most was that I had some big ones for getting out there and doing it live," he said.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Cuban joined the second season of Shark Tank. While he was on the show for over a decade, the businessman announced in November 2023 that he would leave the series after its 16th season. Interestingly, his Shark Tank castmate, Robert Herjavec, married Johnson in 2016.
Mischa Barton regretted her time on the show
Celebs usually walk away feeling a sense of accomplishment after appearing on Dancing with the Stars. However, The O.C. star Mischa Barton’s experience was far from gratifying. Throughout her brief Season 22 stint, where she was partnered with dancing professional Artem Chigvintsev, it was clear that Barton was having second thoughts on whether she wanted to even be on the series.
The couple’s last performance came in Week 3, though it wasn’t their worst — that came the previous week, with their cha-cha-cha effort. In the video package shown prior to their final samba dance, footage taken following their ill-fated cha-cha-cha performance showed Barton and Chigvintsev talking about their routine, which received a low 15 out of 30 from the judges. "You were already in the zone of ... not wanting to do this," the dance pro told Barton. She was later heard saying, "I can’t do another week of this." Luckily for Barton, they were the second couple to be eliminated.
In a 2016 interview with The Ringer, Barton revealed that she had a very unpleasant experience on Dancing with the Stars. "I was supposed to control the costumes, I was told that I could do the design aspect of it, that’s kind of the reason why I agreed to do it," she said. "That didn’t happen. It wasn’t collaborative like a choreographer on a film set. ... I was so confused by it. It was like 'The Hunger Games.' It was all a popularity contest. It was awful. I was so glad to get kicked off."
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