Top 20 Worst Dancing with the Stars Contestants

#20: Bill Nye

You’d expect the Science Guy to have worked out the formula for great dancing, but his feet seemed to defy the laws of physics on the dance floor. His enthusiasm was undeniable, yet his timing was often way off, leaving his routines looking more like a science experiment gone sideways, almost as if he were calculating every step instead of feeling them. That stiffness made everything feel a little too mechanical, especially in styles requiring looseness and rhythm. He was most out of his depth when choreography demanded elegance or swagger. At the end of the day, he was just a guy out of his natural element.

#19: Anna Delvy

When Anna Delvey was announced as a contestant, plenty of viewers had the same question: since when did “convicted con artist” become a celebrity qualification? It didn’t help that she’d been granted special permission from ICE to compete. Yet if there was anyone who seemed unsure about being there, it was Anna herself. She often came across detached, uninterested, and aloof, making her routines feel more obligatory than entertaining. Her performances lacked the charisma or joy that can make rough dancing enjoyable to watch. Anna may not be remembered for her ballroom skills, but her unforgettable exit guaranteed she’d leave “Dancing with the Stars” in memorable fashion.

#18: Bristol Palin

Bristol Palin became famous for her stint on the show for one very simple reason: she kept hanging on despite clearly not being the strongest performer. That’s less of a compliment and more an accurate summary of her run. Her dancing often felt tentative, with the kind of self-conscious energy that made every step look harder than it needed to. Whenever the choreography demanded confidence, she looked like she’d left it backstage. Viewers especially remember her underwhelming Latin dances, which lacked fire, snap, and precision. While she steadily improved, the competition is about more than surviving eliminations, and that’s ultimately what she’s remembered for.

#17: David Hasselhoff

Ah, the legendary Hoff! David Hasselhoff proved that although he had the nimble footwork to race across a beach, he didn’t quite have what it takes to make waves on the ballroom floor and promptly got booted on night one. Teaming up with Kym Johnson-Herjavec, the man who once outran slow motion, managed to score a dazzling 15 out of 30 for a cha-cha-cha that defied traditional rhythm. The global icon proved that mastering fancy footwork was one monumental wall he simply couldn’t tear through, earning the lowest score of the group and making swift history as the first celebrity eliminated. Naturally, the Hoff took it like a true champion.

#16: Steve-O

No one expected Steve-O to glide around the ballroom like Fred Astaire, but even by novelty-contestant standards, he had a rough time. He brought exactly the fearless energy you’d expect, yet the actual dancing was often stiff, clumsy, and painfully out of sync. That made his routines feel less dance-floor-ready and more like a “Jackass” stunt waiting to happen. Of course, he seemed most out of his depth whenever elegance was required. His commitment was so intense that he even walked away with multiple injuries along the way. Still, he gave every performance his all, leaving the judges laughing, wincing, or sometimes both. Clean technique? Not exactly. Memorable television? Absolutely.

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#15: Tucker Carlson

Back in 2006, before Fox News and bowties truly defined him, Tucker Carlson decided to grace the ballroom floor with all the rhythm of a startled folding chair. Paired with Elena Grinenko, young Tucker brought a uniquely wooden charm to the ballroom. Instead of executing a smooth routine, he bravely opted for a stiff, upright posture that famously inspired judge Bruno Tonioli to suggest he looked like a man desperately trying to use a public restroom. Naturally, America didn’t quite appreciate this avant-garde immobility. Voters and judges swiftly booted him first, proving that political punditry and performing the cha-cha are, in fact, entirely different beasts.

#14: Jerry Springer

Jerry Springer may have made for an entertaining talk show host, but he didn't make for a great dancer. Springer was partnered with Kym Johnson in the show’s third season, and despite his best attempts, Springer was mediocre at best. Springer and Johnson received the lowest score of the week on five separate occasions and were the sixth team eliminated. Springer wasn’t awful by any means (his samba was particularly good), but his quickstep wasn’t so quick, and his paso doble was awful, as it was full of awkward cape swinging and stiffness. The crowd chanted “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!,” but not for the right reasons.

#13: Lolo Jones

This Olympic hurdler sprinted onto Season 19, seemingly assuming this cha-cha-challenge was just another obstacle to violently leap over. Sadly, the ballroom refused to cooperate with world-class track speeds. Paired with Keo Motsepe, Lolo managed to trip over her own glittery feet right out of the gate, earning a thoroughly unimpressed judges’ score. True to form, the viewers swiftly ushered her back to the track on night one. For an Olympic champion, coming in dead last stings, and Lolo wished she “could’ve rebounded better.” But she claims her stoic exit wasn’t bad sportsmanship; she was just fighting back tears to save her makeup from the same fate as her dance.

#12: Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams’ Season 12 stint proved that spilling the tea doesn’t translate to sizzling the salsa. Paired with poor Tony Dovolani, the daytime titan gave performances that were less actual dancing and more just awkwardly walking around the ballroom while making facial expressions. Her infamous cha cha and remarkably stiff foxtrot earned some of the lowest scores of the season, showcasing a truly tragic immunity to rhythm. Rather than owning the clumsy diagnosis, she later channeled her signature sass into blaming pretty much anyone she crossed paths with for her mercifully early exit. Ultimately, her brief time on the dance floor was spectacularly chaotic, but definitely not Mirrorball material.

#11: Sean Spicer

Sean Spicer’s time on the show was famous for one thing above all else: the sheer surrealness of seeing him there. Unfortunately, the dancing didn’t make that easier to process, and his rhythm resembled a man being attacked by a swarm of wasps, paired with hips permanently set in cement. Rather than displaying grace, he delivered exceptionally stiff, robotic routines while donning questionable wardrobe choices, most notably a frilly neon-green blouse that made him look like a marching head of lettuce. Despite consistently earning near-rock-bottom scores from the judges, he stubbornly survived week after week, leaving many bewildered as he dodged elimination like an uncoordinated ghost haunting the ballroom.

#10: Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera is infamous for the Al Capone vault debacle on live television. His performance on “Dancing with the Stars” may prove even more embarrassing. Rivera only performed two dances on the show, a cha-cha-cha and a salsa, both of which received a terrible score of 13. He barely moved during the cha-cha-cha, and his salsa began with an awkward Donald Trump political skit and never recovered. We feel bad for the guy, seeing as how he was in his early 70s and obviously having a blast, but it’s clear that he cannot dance. You must commend his spirit, but it was no surprise when he was sent home after only two weeks.

#9: Kenny Mayne

Kenny Mayne is a sports journalist for ESPN, known his “Mayne Event” segments on “Sunday NFL Countdown”. However, unlike the actual athletes, Mayne was not a particularly great dancer. Kenny was partnered with Andrea Hale and performed a horrible cha-cha-cha in the first week, scoring a not-so-great score of 13. Granted, you expect the guests to be a little wooden in their first week, but Mayne’s performance was particularly ill-timed and sloppy. Despite this not being the lowest score of the night, the judges viciously attacked Mayne’s performance, and he was the first dancer eliminated from Season 2.

#8: Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton became popular by playing Marissa Cooper on “The O.C.,” but her popularity couldn’t save her from the wrath of the judges. Barton was paired with Artem Chigvintsev, and she was the second celebrity eliminated after Geraldo Rivera. Mischa survived the first two weeks, despite near-unanimous 5s from the judges, but she was eliminated after a poor samba to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” To make matters worse, Mischa presented a nasty attitude, as she was caught arguing with Artem on-camera and seemingly blamed him for their poor reception.

#7: Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian has to be one of the biggest names to ever appear on “Dancing with the Stars,” but her popularity couldn’t make up for her lackluster dancing skills. The famous reality star was paired with returning “Dancing” champion Mark Ballas, and their first two dances, the foxtrot and the mambo, scored near-unanimous 6s from the judges. However, doom came in week 2, when the pair scored 17 for their stiff and awkward rumba, with many bemoaning Kim’s lack of grace and chemistry with Mark. She was the third contestant eliminated from Season 7.

#6: Jeffrey Ross

Also known as The Roastmaster General, Jeffrey Ross is well-known for his roasting techniques on “Comedy Central Roasts.” And while he may be quick with a joke, he’s not so quick on the dance floor. Jeffrey Ross starred alongside Kim Kardashian in Season 7, but didn’t make it as far, as he was the first celebrity eliminated due to his horrible cha-cha-cha. In Ross’ defense, he was dancing with a scratched cornea, an injury he suffered during rehearsals. However, the show must go on, and Ross’ show was full of bad form and poor musical timing, resulting in his elimination from the show.

#5: Steve Wozniak

We all have our talents and weaknesses. For example, The Woz is a fantastically gifted and intelligent man who helped revolutionize personal computers. However, a dancer he is not. Wozniak appeared on Season 8 alongside Karina Smirnoff, performing the cha-cha-cha, quickstep, samba, and Argentine tango. However, none of them were particularly good, and they received the lowest scores of the week on three of their four dances. Their samba was easily the worst, scoring one 4 and two 3s, with Len calling it consistently terrible and Bruno saying that it was the worst samba he’s ever seen. His bewildered face directly after the dance says it all.

#4: Carole Baskin

Baskin graced the ballroom with all the graceful agility of a heavily sedated tiger. Choosing to lean completely into her big-cat brand, she treated viewers to terrifyingly literal interpretations of the themes rather than actual steps. Instead of executing proper footwork, she mostly just walked briskly through routines while flailing her arms, hoping sheer enthusiasm would mask a complete lack of rhythm. Her poor partner, Pasha Pashkov, must have been feline the pain as he desperately tried to drag her through the paces, but her timing proved to be more elusive than a rare exotic cat. She earned rock-bottom scores because, quite frankly, her actual dancing simply had zero bite.

#3: Kate Gosselin

This “Jon & Kate Plus 8” celebrity appeared in the show’s tenth season alongside Tony Dovolani, and the duo ended up proving to be disastrous. Kate received almost unanimous 5s in the first three weeks of the show (minus one 6), but the double-score showdown in week 4 was the beginning of the end. While their tango scored unanimous 6s in performance, they received a 4 and two 5s for technique due to Kate’s robotic performance, and were eliminated the following week. Tony later laughed with Anderson Cooper, saying “there was a lot of therapy involved” after performing with Kate and that he doesn’t consider what they did to be dancing.

#2: Michael Bolton

Despite his background in music, Michael Bolton couldn’t muster up a single solid dance. Bolton was partnered with Chelsie Hightower, and they performed only two dances before being eliminated. Their first dance, the Viennese waltz, scored a decent 16 from the judges, but their jive scored an abysmal 12, with Bruno calling it the worst jive he’s seen in eleven seasons. While the limber Chelsie is out giving it her all, Michael’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it, as he barely does any actual dancing, and when he does, he’s stiff as a board. His music is good, but his dancing leaves a lot to be desired.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Billy Ray Cyrus

Talk About Some Achy-Breaky Footwork

Joe Amabile

Moving with All the Dynamic Grace of a Bag of Unwashed Potatoes

D.L. Hughley

Exhibiting a Profound, Stubborn Refusal to Let His Body Cooperate with the Rhythm or Tempo

Buzz Aldrin

Whirling Completely Outside the Gravitational Pull of Rhythm, Timing & Choreography

Bobby Bones

Winning the Entire Mirrorball Trophy Through Sheer, Violent Flailing While Completely Bypassing Any Concept of Actual Dancing

#1: Master P

Master P lives in “Dancing with the Stars” infamy as perhaps the worst contestant in the show’s history. The rapper appeared in the show’s second season and miraculously made it to week four before finally being eliminated. However, that doesn’t mean that the first three weeks were good. Master P received the lowest score of the week on all four of his dances, with his worst being the paso doble, on which he received an astoundingly bad score of 8 (including 2s from Len and Bruno). Naturally, he was eliminated from the show and immediately entered “Dancing with the Stars” history. Oh well, at least it was entertaining, and that’s all that matters.

Which celeb do you think deserves an A for effort but an F for execution? Let us know in the comments