Top 10 Dancing with the Stars Contestants That Should've Won
#10: Sabrina Bryan
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The former Cheetah Girl was partnered with Mark Ballas during the show’s fifth season. They regularly placed at the top end of the leaderboard and even received the first perfect score of their season. Just as we thought that the mirrorball was a sure thing, week six rolled around, and with it, a shock elimination. She got a second chance during the All-Star season in 2012, this time partnered with Louis Van Amstel. We were convinced that this was her year until week six proved unlucky once again - exactly five years later to the day she was eliminated once more. Now, that’s gotta sting.
#9: Juan Pablo Di Pace
Viewers and judges were left in utter disbelief when this “Fuller House” star was eliminated just shy of the finals. He and his partner Cheryl Burkeamazed and entertained us every week, picking up numerous well-deserved tens along the way. In fact, they were the first pair to even score a ten that season. We thought it would be smooth-sailing for them until the double elimination in the semi-finals. Given their two perfect scoring dances that night, you can bet that there were audible gasps of shock when their names weren’t called to advance. With the mirrorball now out of their grasp, the fans were practically ready to riot.
#8: Milo Manheim
With innovative choreography, amazing chemistry, and plenty of talent, Milo and Witney Carson quickly became the competition frontrunners. Every week, Witney threw new challenges at her partner and he was all too ready to dive in headfirst. Milo was clearly there to learn and have fun and the payoff was tremendous. Their Halloween contemporary and Freestyle dance feature among some of Dancing with the Stars’ most memorable routines to this day. So when they lost out on the trophy to radio host, Bobby Bones, there was understandably some disappointment. In fact, plenty of fans are still justly upset about this one.
#7: James Van Der Beek
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Topping the leaderboard in week one with their Tango, James and Emma Slater instantly became the ones to watch. Audiences loved seeing James improve each week, while Emma’s choreography seemed tailor-made for him. With every new dance, the path to the finals seemed to get a little clearer. So we were gutted when, after a heartbreaking week, they fell at the final hurdle. To anyone watching, it was clear that overall James was the stronger performer out of the bottom two. But unfortunately just one off-week cost him his well-deserved shot at winning the mirrorball. Perhaps we can right this wrong in an All-Stars episode.
#6: Mel B
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Competing with Maksim Chmerkovskiy in season five, this former Spice Girl quickly became the favorite to win. Granted her dance background gave her a slight edge, but boy did she know how to put on a show. There was no dance style she couldn’t nail, even earning five perfect scores across the season. So when it came time to announce the winner, we were fairly sure we knew whose name would be called... or not. Hélio Castroneves was a strong contender, but Brown out danced the competition most weeks. If it was just about pure talent, she would have been the one raising the mirrorball.
#5: Heather Morris
America has a complicated relationship when it comes to contestants with prior dance experience. Sometimes they lift the mirrorball and other times they’re unexpectedly eliminated. Even so, audiences clearly enjoyed watching Heather perform and were keeping her in the competition. But then in week six, we were left stunned after she was voted off despite her perfect-scoring rumba. The studio erupted with boos and you could feel jaws-dropping across the country. It would be a pretty safe bet to assume that she could have won if the contest was judged on dancing abilities alone. Perhaps viewers just wanted to give the other contestants a fighting chance.
#4: Nev Schulman
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When we first heard that the “Catfish” presenter was joining the show, we didn’t quite know what to expect. We certainly didn’t imagine that every week he would blow us away with enthralling, captivating, and skillful performances. Teaming up with Jenna Johnson, Nev mastered almost anything she threw his way and proved to be quite a showman in the process too. We also loved watching their blossoming friendship. They had everything it takes to become season champions, only to just miss out on the trophy to Bachelorette star, Kaitlyn Bristowe. Nev was delighted with second place, but many believe that he was robbed.
#3: Zendaya
Aged just 16, this former Disney Channel star often and easily danced rings around the competition. She had a rather compelling stage presence and rarely put a foot out of place. It was a tough season with the actress often vying for the top spot with eventual winner, Kellie Pickler. Kellie was exceptionally talented, but many fans felt like the results could have just as easily swayed the other way. This wasn’t helped by a technical glitch during the vote that week either. She might have missed out on the mirrorball, but we imagine that Zendaya’s trophy cabinet is looking pretty full these days anyway.
#2: Simone Biles
National treasure and world-class athlete, Simone Biles dazzled us week over week with her athleticism, stamina, and natural rhythm. Partnered with Sasha Farber in season 24, she never ceased to amaze us and we were convinced that they were a shoo-in for the finals. Their semi-final performances were especially spectacular, with both their jive and rumba earning them tens from all of the judges. So, when their names were called during elimination, no one could quite believe it. The shock weighed heavily on the room. There’s only one person we might have accepted her defeat to - and they’re in our number one spot. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Evanna Lynch Partnering with Keo Motsepe, She Made Huge Strides Every Week Nastia Liukin Despite Consistently Scoring High, She & Derek Hough Missed Out on a Place in the Finals Frankie Muniz The Actor & His Partner Witney Carson Finished in Third, but Many Believed They Deserved Better James Hinchcliffe Perhaps in Another Season He & Sharna Burgess Would’ve Been Crowned the Winners Lindsey Stirling Along with Mark Ballas, They Certainly Gave the Season 25 Champs a Run for Their Money
#1: Normani Kordei
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From the first moment we watched her dance with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, we could see the finals on the horizon. In fact, it didn’t take that long before we could envision her lifting the mirrorball trophy. Every week, she took her performances to a whole new level and was quite simply in a league of her own. She was the highest scoring contestant of season 24, yet somehow finished in third place, behind Rashad Jennings and David Ross. Normani was considered the best dancer by many, so seeing her take the bronze felt like an injustice. For many fans, it’s still a sore subject to this day.
