With 32 seasons under its belt and a 33rd currently underway, Dancing With the Stars has solidified itself as one of the most successful reality shows on television. The series sends celebrities to the ballroom and attempts to teach them how to dance with the help of professionally trained dancers. Each season has seen a colorful cast of celebrities vying for the famous Mirrorball trophy, and fans get a prominent say in who stays and who goes every week, which can lead to some upset.
There have been many seasons where fans feel a contestant was robbed of the Mirrorball and that they deserve a second chance, which is why it’s the perfect time for the show to have an All-Stars season again. There hasn’t been an All-Stars season since Season 15, and since then there have been some incredible dancers who have come shy of taking home the Mirrorball. It’s time we get another round of All-Stars, and here are some of the celebrities who should get another chance in the ballroom.
10 Willow Shields
From Season 20
Actress Willow Shields made Dancing With the Stars history as the show’s youngest contestant, being that she was only fourteen years old at the time. She was partnered with pro Mark Ballas in Season 20 and the pair were electric together. Mark’s infectious energy boded well for Willow’s youthfulness, and together they scored high on the leaderboards. So it was a huge shock when they were eliminated in Week 7, especially since their jazz routine was heavily praised by the judges and earned them three 9s and a 10.
Willow Shields deserves a second chance at the Mirrorball, as she had so much promise as a dancer and was just beginning to show how skilled she truly was, and was only going to get better. Plus, she and Mark had some of the most creative routines of the season, and took every challenge they faced in stride.
9 Mel B
From Season 5
Mel B, AKA Scary Spice of the hit girl group The Spice Girls, joined Dancing With the Stars in Season 5, where she was partnered with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Unlike Willow and Mark who were voted out early, Mel B and Maks went all the way to the finals and even made it to the top two, where they very nearly took home the Mirrorball. They were only edged out by Hélio Castroneves and Julianne Hough. Still, some fans believe that Mel B was the true winner of the season and that she was robbed of taking home the Mirrorball trophy.
From week 1, Mel B and Maks were scoring high. Their opening night Cha-Cha earned them three 8s, and it was only up from there. Despite very nearly taking home the Mirrorball, Mel B should still get another shot in the ballroom purely for how beloved she was by the fans during her time on the show. Plus, who doesn’t want more Spice Girls on Dancing With the Stars?
8 Simone Biles
From Season 24
One of the greatest and most decorated gymnasts, Simone Biles, tried her hand at ballroom dancing on Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars. Paired with pro Sasha Farber, Simone was a-shooing to go far. After all, gymnasts and athletes in general tend to be very successful on the show due to their athletic background, and her incredible prowess as a gymnast would certainly bode well for her. And it did. Simone was consistently scoring high from the beginning of the season, with four 8s in her first dance of the season. However, the votes just weren’t there.
Simone and Sasha made it to the semi-finals where they performed two dances, a jive and a rumba, both earning perfect scores from the judges. But it wasn’t enough to save them, and they were voted out ahead of the finals, placing fourth in the competition. It’s still a very impressive place, but many believe Simone Biles should have gone further and possibly have even won the competition, so she certainly deserves to join a season of All-Stars!
7 Brandy
From Season 11
Brandy was another contestant who was a-shooing to win the Mirrorball. Paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the two were considered front-runners of the season. So, when she was voted out in the semi-finals, everyone was shocked, even those she was up against were shocked. Even the judges had things to say about her elimination, with Bruno Tonioli stressing the importance of voting.
Brandy undoubtedly deserves to return to the ballroom, if only for the very raw shock everyone displayed when she was eliminated. That’s the sign of someone with true talent and someone who deserves to go further, at least to the finals.
6 Zendaya
From Season 16
Zendaya was paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy when she appeared on Season 16 of Dancing With the Stars, and though she was only sixteen years old at the time, she wowed the crowd with her skill. She was consistently scoring at the top of the leaderboard from week 1, and it seemed like she could win the entire competition. It eventually came down to her and Kellie Pickler vying for the Mirrorball trophy, with Pickler and her partner Derek Hough coming out victorious.
At the time of her competing, Zendaya was still on the Disney Channel and didn’t have quite as large of a following as she does now. Her superstar status would certainly bode well for her if she were to join the ballroom once more, and she could very well win the entire thing, which would certainly please fans who believe she was robbed of the win.
5 Normani
From Season 24
Partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Normani, a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, was a competitor on Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars. Normani scored her first 9 in only Week 3, and it was only up from there, with consistently high scores and creative and stunning dances. The pair ended up making it to the finals, where they came in 3rd, an impressive feat, but something fans still don’t agree with to this day.
Interestingly, Normani had the highest average score of all of her fellow competitors, yet still placed 3rd. It’s only right that she gets her second chance in the ballroom and another shot in the finals, where she may just take home the Mirrorball trophy this time.
4 Heather Morris
From Season 24
Glee star Heather Morris joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars in Season 24 where she was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Heather was immediately impressive, with beautiful technique and poise, but many called her out for her previous dance experience since she was a backup dancer for Beyoncé on her “I Am… Sasha Fierce” tour. Granted, that type of dancing greatly differs from ballroom dancing, but it did still give Heather a leg up in the competition, and it meant the judges were a little harsher on her. Not to mention, her partner Maks suffered an injury to his calf which took him out of the competition for a few weeks, leaving Heather to switch to a new partner, Alan Bersten, until Maks could return. Nonetheless, she adapted and soon began topping the leaderboard, so it was a bombshell when she scored a perfect 40 after a stunning rumba, and was promptly eliminated on the same night.
Despite the controversy surrounding her appearance on the show, Heather Morris should get another chance to vy for the Mirrorball. After all, she’d better fit in on an All-Stars season since her competitors will similarly have dance experience as well, levelling the playing field a little bit. Plus, fans have always been outraged that she went home so early, as she only placed 8th, when she certainly deserved to go much further.
3 Juan Pablo Di Pace
From Season 27
Juan Pablo Di Pace joined Season 27 of Dancing With The Stars, where he was partnered with pro Cheryl Burke. He immediately wowed the competition, the audience, and stunned the judges with his talent, and scored two 9s in week 2, an impressive feat that not many have achieved. His time was cut tragically short though, when he and Cheryl were eliminated in week 8, causing an outcry from not only the audience but from the judges, specifically head judge Len Goodman. He cried out “There’s no justice here!” when Di Pace was eliminated, summing up the thoughts of viewers everywhere.
Season 27 was very unbalanced in terms of voting, as you’ll see later in this list, so Juan Pablo Di Pace’s elimination isn’t all that surprising looking back, but that doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking. He’s easily one of the best contestants the show has ever had, and his time was cut astronomically short. He deserves a redemption round in the ballroom, and to make it to finals like Len Goodman wanted him to!
2 Riker Lynch
From Season 20
Riker Lynch was paired with pro Allison Holker when he joined the show in Season 20. They immediately became fan favorites due to their charisma and chemistry as partners, and the creativity in their dances. Riker’s skill as a dancer was unprecedented, and he wowed the competition, becoming one to watch right from the start.
The pair made it all the way to the finals where they placed second, losing out to Amber Riley and her partner Derek Hough, who were pretty neck and neck with Riker and Allison throughout the season. Fans loved Riker’s energy during his time on the show, so bringing him back for a season of All-Stars would not only boost viewership, but also allow him to vy for the Mirrorball once again and maybe even take it home this time.
1 Milo Manheim
From Season 27
There is truly no one else who could take the top spot on this list other than Milo Manheim and pro partner Witney Carson. In only his second week, he scored two 9s, an incredible accomplishment that immediately set him apart from his competition. But as I mentioned previously, Season 27 was a weird and unbalanced season of Dancing With the Stars, so even though Milo and Witney seemed like they had the Mirrorball in their hands, there were still some curveballs ahead. From week 2 on, Milo and Witney were consistently scoring 9s and higher, earning their first 10 in week 4. They made it all the way to the finals where it seemed as though they were going to win the entire season, only for it to be announced that Bobby Bones was the winner, in a shock win that is still being debated by fans of the show to this day.
Milo Manheim is the most deserving of a second chance on Dancing With the Stars, since he was undoubtedly the true winner of the season. He was consistently the best dancer and took all the criticism and tips in stride and worked tirelessly to make his dances the best he possibly could. His dedication was admirable, and he and Witney made an incredible pair together. Give him his second chance, and let him take home the trophy!
Dancing with the Stars is available to stream on ABC in the US.
Keep Reading: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 33 Premier Recap
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