Dancing With The Stars is one of the greatest reality competitions of all time, bringing celebrities from different backgrounds ranging from acting to sports, throwing them into the dancing world. The series has brought in some fantastic names across the years, and those who manage to win the show end up being remembered by the fans.
While the show has had 29 seasons in total, when looking back at the original 10 seasons of the show there were some tremendous victors across them. But while they were the talk of the reality television world at the time, what have they gone on to do and where are the winners now?
10 Kelly Monaco (Season 1) – Acting
The original season of Dancing With The Stars only had six competitors, which is lower than any other season of the show. However, it was Kelly Monaco who dazzled on the dancefloor, coming out on top with the victory in the end. The popular actress has been involved in plenty of projects over the course of her career, and is best known for her role in General Hospital.
Kelly first started on the show back in 2003, and she is actually still part of the series to this day, which is what she is doing now. Playing the character of Sam McCall, Kelly has gained huge plaudits for her work.
9 Drew Lachey (Season 2) – American Ninja Warrior
Alongside Cheryl Burke, Drew Lachey was able to win the glitter ball in the second season of the show, beating out Jerry Rice and former professional wrestler, Stacy Kiebler, in the final. Drew, much like his older brother Nick, is a professional actor, and one who has had a great career.
One of the most recent things that Drew has done on television was actually being part of a different competition show. He was involved in American Ninja Warrior, although he wasn’t quite as successful here, failing to get past the second obstacle.
8 Emmitt Smith (Season 3) – Miss Universe & Real Estate
Professional dancer, Cheryl Burke, was able to guide another celebrity to victory for a second season in a row when she won again in season three, this time with Emmitt Smith as her partner. The former NFL star had a fantastic career in the sport throughout his career, but he retired back in 2004.
However, Emitt is a very busy man and keeps himself involved in lots of different projects. He’s been a judge for Miss. Universe, he has his own charity, and he works in real estate development, keeping himself as busy as possible.
7 Apolo Ohno (Season 4) – The Wall
Another former athlete that was able to win Dancing With The Stars was Apolo Ohno. He was a short track speed skater and someone who had a fantastic career, having won two Gold Medals, two Silver Medals, and four Bronze Medals at the Olympic Games over the course of his career.
Apolo was also part of the all-start season 15 cast, where he managed to make it to week nine. Most recently, Apolo was part of the game show, The Wall, where he raised money for the Team USA Fund.
6 Hélio Castroneves (Season 5) – Still Racing
The Brazilian wowed audiences with his performances on Dancing With The Stars, dancing his way to victory with some great numbers. Competition is something that is familiar to Hélio Castroneves though, as he built up his name as an auto racing driver.
He’s had a fantastic career in the sport, and it is still something he does to this day. He is currently signed for Meyer Shank Racing to compete in the 2021 season, where he will be looking to continue building his legacy.
5 Kristi Yamaguchi (Season 6) – Skating Mentor
Kristi Yamaguchi is another athlete that thrived on Dancing With The Stars, but it wasn’t a big surprise considering she is a former figure skater. A sport that requires fantastic timing and detail made her the perfect fit for the dancing world, and she proved that by going all the way to win.
Kristi is a U.S. Olympic Hall Of Famer and she continues to give back to the sport as she currently works as a trainer and mentor for young aspiring skaters hoping to follow in her shoes.
4 Brooke Burke (Season 7) – Podcasting
Brooke Burke really has done it all in her career, from acting to writing and winning Dancing With The Stars, which she did in season seven. But that wasn’t the end of her journey with the show, because Brooke returned in season 10 to work as the co-host, which she did until season 17.
However, most recently, Burke has been focusing on the podcast world. She co-hosts a show called Intimate Knowledge on iHeartRadio, which is where people can enjoy her content currently.
3 Shawn Johnson (Season 8) – Pregnancy & YouTube
Another former Olympian who has managed to take her competitive spirit to win Dancing With The Stars is Shawn Johnson, who won season eight. She is a former gymnast who has competed at the Olympic Games and was one of the top athletes in the sport until her retirement in 2012.
Shawn recently announced she is pregnant with her second child, and fans have the ability to follow her journey throughout pregnancy with her own YouTube channel, which is something she’s putting a lot of effort into.
2 Donny Osmond (Season 9) – The Masked Singer
Donny Osmond has always been a brilliant showman, which has come from his career in music, and on Dancing With The Stars, he was fantastic. Donny wowed audiences and put together some tremendous performances, earning his victory.
Recently, Donny has been on another reality show, being part of the first season of The Masked Singer where he was The Peacock, managing to finish second on the show, once again showing his flair as a showman.
1 Nicole Scherzinger (Season 10) – Pussycat Reunion
Nicole Scherzinger was a brilliant performer on the 10th season of the show, which was a milestone season for Dancing With The Stars. The former Pussycat Dolls singer was able to showcase her dance skills on the show as an impressive performer.
Much like Donny, Nicole Scherzinger has also been involved with The Masked Singer, where she is on the panel as a judge in season three. However, she is also due to reunite with the Pussycat Dolls as well.
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