The 20 Best ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Celebrity Contestants of All Time ...Saudi Arabia

As Dancing with the Stars celebrates 20 years of the show this Tuesday, fans will remember the show’s best dancers. DWTS has crowned 33 celebrity winners so far, and on Nov. 25, the current season 34 champ will receive the coveted mirror ball trophy.  

The ABC reality show premiered on June 1, 2005 and has continued its reality TV success ever since, pairing stars with professional partners so they can learn how to dance and compete live in the ballroom. Through the years, more than 400 stars have appeared, and fans have been thrilled by past champions like ice skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Davis, conservationist Bindi Irwin (the sister of current contestant Robert Irwin), actor/singer Jordan Fisher, and former The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro, now DWTS’ co-host.

However, DWTS is a popularity contest in which viewer votes can sometimes win out over actual talent. The series has had numerous shockers when obviously incredible dancers haven’t won, including Sabrina Bryan, Zendaya, and Milo Manheim.

Amid this week’s nostalgic episode marking DWTS’ 20 years with songs, dances, tributes, and special guests, here’s Parade’s opinionated guide to the best dancers in the show’s history – and whether they won or lost.

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The best Dancing with the Stars contestants of all time

Drew Lachey

The former 98 Degrees singer delivered a memorable “Save a Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” freestyle with partner Cheryl Burke during season 2, when the show was in its infancy. Although later celebrity dancers were more accomplished, Lachey definitely helped put DWTS on the map. He and Burke earned a score of 30 out of 30 from judges. Lachey later returned for the All-Stars season 15 in 2012, but didn’t win.

DWTS Season 3 featured a macho battle between former Saved by the Bell actor and presenter Lopez and football legend Emmitt Smith in 2006. Lopez, dancing with partner Karina Smirnoff, excelled every week, but NFL fans embraced Smith and gave him the victory with partner Burke. Lopez seemed like the better dancer, but did his confidence put viewers off?

Kristi Yamaguchi

The Olympic gold medal-winning ice skater couldn’t be beat on season 6 of the show in 2008 with partner Mark Ballas. Yamaguchi had a huge advantage due to her years of learning dance moves on ice and scored consistently high throughout the season.

Shawn Johnson

Athletes have often excelled on DWTS. Did Olympic gold medalist gymnast Johnson, then just 17, have an unfair advantage due to her years of training? Fans and judges didn’t care. They also embraced her adorable personality as she won Season 8 in 2009 with partner Ballas. Johnson returned for the All-Star Season 15 and finished second with partner Derek Hough.

The beloved singer and member of the Osmond family competed on DWTS after his sister Marie had finished third on season 5 in 2007. Donny won the mirror ball with partner Kym Johnson on Season 9 in 2009, and became one of the contestants who improved the most during the competition.

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Nicole Scherzinger

Former Pussycat Dolls singer and recently Tony Award winner Scherzinger triumphed on season 10 in 2010 with partner Derek Hough. Scherzinger put her professional background as a dancer and experience interpreting music to good use.

Dirty Dancing star Grey had the time of her life winning season 11 with partner Hough despite rupturing a disk in her lower back. Grey burst into tears and hugged Hough for ages after the results were announced.

J.R. Martinez

Martinez, a military veteran and actor who survived severe burn injuries in Iraq, was a profile in courage during his season 13 winning run with partner Smirnoff in 2011. But he also brought multiple moves to the dance floor, and judges often gave him perfect scores.

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After winning the gold medal for ice dancing at the 2104 Winter Olympics with her partner Charlie White, Davis took home the DWTS trophy with ballroom partner Maks Chmerkovskiy on Season 18 in 2014. Soft-spoken Davis said she was “so lucky,” but fans thought ice skating skills made her a natural champ.  

Alfonso Ribeiro

Former The French Prince of Bel-Air star is now a DWTS co-host, but back in 2014, during season 19, he was an iconic winner with Witney Carson. Ribeiro didn’t hide his childhood tap dance training, and judges also praised his showmanship, especially in his “Carlton dance,” a jazz tribute to his French Prince character Carlton Banks.

Related: ‘DWTS’ Host Alfonso Ribeiro Opens Up About the ‘Year That Changed My Whole Life’ (Exclusive)

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s daughter was the mirror ball queen in 2015 for season 20 with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Fans enjoyed her low-key personality and strong work ethic. Judge Len Goodman called Rumer’s final performance “flawless.”

Bindi Irwin

The late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin’s daughter was a DWTS standout winner, bringing so much heart to the ballroom in season 21 in 2015 with partner Hough. She received eight perfect scores and soon, will her brother Robert also take the trophy?

The former Team USA gymnast is often ranked among the best DWTS winners of all time, as she took mirror ball glory in 2016, season 23, at age 16. Judge Julianne called her “the total package.”

Jordan Fisher

The season 25 winner had a clear edge all season with pro partner Lindsay Arnold. They received nine perfect scores, a record for the series, and hoisted the trophy in 2017. Fisher was thrilled that all his “energy and blood and sweat and tears” over the weeks of competition had paid off.

Related: Who Will Win ‘Dancing with the Stars’ 2025? After Watching Every Episode, Here Are Our Predictions

While both beautiful Bachelorettes, Bristowe and Hannah Brown, won their seasons of DWTS, Bristowe earned a higher average judges’ score. Plus, Bristowe actually worked as a professional dancer before reality TV — and it showed as she won Season 29 in 2020 with partner Artem Chigvintsev.  

Zendaya

The future Dune star competed on DWTS when she was just 16 in 2013. She finished in second place with partner Val Chmerkovskiy in Season 16. In retrospect, Zendaya’s dancing seemed better to many than the winner, former American Idol singer Kellie Pickler. Years later, the actress said she is “still harboring a little animosity” about losing DWTS, and many fans don’t blame her!

The Cheetah Girls singer was a DWTS contestant twice, and despite great performances, she never won. Bryan and partner Ballas finished in seventh place on Season 5 in 2007 in the most shocking show elimination of all time. She returned for the 2012 15 All-Stars and got the axe in Week 6

Simone Biles

The "GOAT" Olympian was a DWTS celebrity in 2017 during Season 24, but she and partner Sasha Farber only made fourth place. The judges were shocked she was sent packing as they had just given her perfect scores for a rumba and jive. A fellow athlete, football player Rashad Jennings, won instead.

Milo Manheim

Does the best dancer win every season? No! The Zombies star and son of Camryn Manheim went far on Season 27 with partner Carson in 2018. However, it was DJ Bobby Bones who took the mirror ball that season in the most controversial win in DWTS history, with Manheim finishing second. Bones, even when guided by partner Sharna Burgess, clearly couldn’t move across the dance floor as well as his young rival Milo.

Courtesy of Disney

Charli D’Amelio

The TikTok star was a competitive dancer for years before she started posting dance videos. It’s really no surprise that she won 2024’s Season 33 of the show with partner Ballas. D’Amelio said the competition renewed her love of dancing.

Related: These 12 Celebrities Were the Worst Dancers on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

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