When Dancing With the Stars premiered in 2005, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Then hosted by Tom Bergeron, the ABC (now Disney Plus) reality competition featured a panel of judges who critiqued the dance moves of some of the biggest — and not-so-big — names in Hollywood. Starting with Season 31, DWTS moved to Disney Plus.
Combined with votes from the viewing audiences, the first winner was decided after roughly 10 weeks of competition. Not surprisingly, some of the pro dancers became more popular than the "stars" they were paired with. The show is also filmed live, so any slip-up is caught on camera. And can we talk about the costumes?
So, who are the judges on Dancing With the Stars?
The judges' panel has had some personnel changes over the course of 31 seasons:
Tom Bergeron has also gone through a handful of co-hosts, including Lisa Canning (Season 1), Samantha Harris (Season 2-9), Brooke Burke-Charvet (Season 10-17), and Erin Andrews (Season 18-28). Tyra Banks took over as host after Tom and Erin's departure in Season 29. For Season 31, Alfonso Ribeiro joined Tyra as a co-host, and he took over the role for Season 32 after Tyra left.
Dancing With the Stars winners:
Here is a breakdown of the celebrity winner and their dance partner on DWTS:
Season 1 — Kelly Monaco and Alex Mazo
Season 2 — Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke
Season 3 — Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke
Season 4 — Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough
Season 5 — Hélio Castroneves and Julianne Hough
Season 6 — Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas
Season 7 — Brooke Burke and Derek Hough
Season 8 — Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Season 9 — Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson
Season10 — Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough
Season 11 — Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough
Season 12 — Hines Ward and Kym Johnson
Season 13 — J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff
Season 14 — Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd
Season 15 — Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Season 16 — Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough
Season 17 — Amber Riley and Derek Hough
Season 18 — Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Season 19 — Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson
Season 20 — Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Season 21 — Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough
Season 22 — Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd
Season 23 — Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Season 24 — Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater
Season 25 — Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold
Season 26 — Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson
Season 27 — Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess
Season 28 — Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten
Season 29 — Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev
Season 30 — Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach
Season 31 — Charli D'Amelio and Mark Ballas
Fun fact: The pro with the most wins on DWTS is Derek Hough, who has taken home six mirror ball trophies.
DWTS had its own spinoff — Dancing With the Stars: Juniors!
In 2018, Dancing With the Stars: Juniors premiered, pairing junior professional ballroom dancers with celebrity children. The pairs are also mentored by an adult professional dancer – usually a pro from DWTS.
The first season of DWTS: Juniors was hosted by DWTS alum Jordan Fisher and Frankie Muniz — and judges included pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy, actress Mandy Moore, and Olympian Adam Rippon.
The winner of DWTS: Junior Season 1 was professional skateboarder Sky Brown and her partner, JT Church. The series was canceled after one season.
There is also a Dancing With the Stars tour.
The Dancing With the Stars Live! Tour was officially announced in 2014 and featured a handful of the professional dancers showing off their skills across the country. The dancers were joined by a celebrity host, such as Melissa Rycroft, Jordan Fisher, and Frankie Muniz.
