Dancing With the Stars
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:
- Carrie Ann Inaba (Season 1- 32)
- Len Goodman (Season 1-20, 22-28, 31)
- Bruno Tonioli (Season 1- 32)
- Julianne Hough (Season 4-9, 16-21, 23-26)
- Derek Hough (Season 29-32)
- Alfonso Ribeiro (Season 32)
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.
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