Dancing With the Stars has been running for a total of 31 seasons, and hopefully it doesn’t come to an end anytime soon. There have been some iconic celebrities that have competed on the show, and some that have been completely surprising. When Sean Spicer was announced to compete in the 28th season, it was met with a ton of backlash; but he was ultimately eliminated pretty early on in the competition. Since there have been so many seasons and so many years of this great show revolving around celebrities dancing in front of a live studio audience, here’s a list of the best competitors, ranked.
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11 Hannah Brown
BBC Worldwide Productions
There have been many bachelorettes and even a handful of bachelors that have tried their hand at Dancing With the Stars, but Hannah Brown has been one of the most memorable. When a bachelorette is featured on the show, it’s usually right after their season has ended, so they’re relevant enough to vote for, which is smart. Brown showed steady improvement throughout each week, and even took home the trophy at the end of the season with her partner, Alan Bersten.
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10 Corbin Bleu
Some might say that when individuals with a Disney background are featured on the show, it’s unfair because of the training they have received as kids. When Corbin Bleu appeared in the 17th season, his time with Disney was talked about. However, he proved that he was more than just his memorable character from High School Musical, and did wonderful throughout each week.
9 Alfonso Ribeiro
Alfonso Ribeiro is known for his iconic role as Carlton in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and he incorporated that character into his first dance, making it memorable. Ribeiro proved to be likable and relatable throughout his time on the show, often complaining about how much pain he was in from dancing every single day. Whitney, his partner, never took the complaining as a sign to stop, and would call him an old man to get him motivated. The pair went on to win the season, rightfully so, and he was eventually reunited with the show when he became a host.
8 Zendaya
Throughout the huge fandom of this show, it’s often been talked about that Zendaya was painfully snubbed from a much-deserved win. It was 2011 and season 16, making Zendaya the youngest competitor the show had seen during that time, says ScreenRant. She was paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who’s up there with Mark Ballas, talent-wise. The pair stunned throughout each week, but were ultimately met with disappointment at the end of the season.
7 Selma Blair
Selma Blair is known for being a great actress and her iconic roles in huge movies. Since being diagnosed with MS, Blair states that while she has received massive amounts of support from the world, she hasn’t gotten a job since her public statement. Blair proved to be extremely capable as she entered the latest season of Dancing With the Stars, partnering with Sasha Farber. Unfortunately she had to go home early due to her health, but she had many memorable dances, such as one where she was completely blindfolded.
6 Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson actually appeared on the show two different times with two different partners. Mark Ballas, one of the best pros on the show, brought her to victory and owner of the mirror ball after an intense season. Johnson used her gymnastic training to wow the judges each week and win yet another competition.
5 Adam Rippon
In a special season dedicated to just athletes, Adam Rippon wowed with his partner Jenna Johnson, each week. It was a shorter season than what has been previously released, but fans still enjoyed this all-star cast, as well as the dances that premiered throughout every episode. Rippon is known for his figure skating in the Olympics, and not only does he have a gold medal, but also the mirror ball trophy.
4 Shangela
Shangela wowed in the newest season of Dancing With the Stars, but was sadly snubbed to fourth place with her partner, Gleb. Shangela was the first drag queen to compete on the show, and made history in doing so, proving throughout each week that she was tough competition for the other competitors. She often had the judges cracking up while they gave her the scores for her dance, and even formed a special relationship with tough judge, Len Goodman.
3 Nyle DiMarco
Although Nyle DiMarco wasn’t the first deaf person to compete in the show, he was the first to bring home the mirror ball. Something amazing about DiMarco was his musicality throughout the show, always in tune with the song playing, even though he couldn’t hear it. His partner, Peta, brought him to victory in the season finale, and to this day, his time on the show is still talked about.
2 Bindi Irwin
Bindi Irwin is known for having an extremely well-known father, Steve Irwin. When she was announced to be on the 21st season, fans knew that there would be a special week when she dedicated a dance to her dad, and when it finally happened, it was beautiful. Irwin ended up rightfully winning the season with her partner, Derek Hough, who is now a judge.
1 Iman Shumpert
Iman Shumpert is one of the best basketball players that has competed on this show, simply because of the growth he went through every single week. Shumpert secured the mirror ball trophy at the end of the season with his partner, Daniella Kragach Pashkova, making it her first win as well. Pashkova used his height to her advantage and often centered their dances around it, climbing him, standing on his chest, and even being thrown around.
