‘Dancing With the Stars’: 7 Celebs We Totally Forgot Once Appeared on the Hit Show

As the dance competition celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we can’t help but think back to all the shining (and some surprising) stars who came before.

Kim Kardashian and Pamela Anderson / Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images, Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Truth be told, we have a bit of a Dancing With the Stars obsession over here at SI Lifestyle. In case you missed it, we recap the show live for you every week—and also already have our favorites for Season 34 picked out (but we’ll never tell!).

This year, the mega-popular ABC dance competition is celebrating its 20th anniversary, which got us to thinking: who else has competed on the show over the years that we might have missed? And whew, did this innocent question lead us down quite the rabbit hole, where we discovered several incredible stars we forgot ever appeared on the program.

With that in mind, here are just a handful of the beloved celebs we were surprised to learn once took a spin around the ballroom for a chance to win that coveted mirrorball trophy over the last two decades, presented in order by season.

Mel B on Season 5

Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy / Carol Kaelson/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The Spice Girl-turned-TV personality competed on the show back in 2007. She was partnered with pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy—the older brother of current pro Val Chmerkovskiy—and the two did marvelously, finishing in second place behind IndyCar driver Hélio Castroneves and his partner Julianne Hough, who now acts as a host on the program.

Kim Kardashian on Season 7

Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballas / Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

One year after Kardashian made her reality TV debut on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she traded in her designer stilettos for dancing shoes. Partnered with pro Mark Ballas—who has been on the show all 20 seasons, and is partnered with Whitney Leavitt this year—Kardashian unfortunately didn’t get too long a stay, eliminated third overall. The winner that season was Brooke Burke and her partner Derek Hough, who now acts as a judge on the show.

Lil’ Kim on Season 8

Lil Kim and Derek Hough / Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

In 2009, the rapper returned to the spotlight and was also paired with Derek Hough. The two placed fifth overall, with the mirrorball trophy going to Shawn Johnson and partner Ballas. Still, her elimination was controversial, with host (at the time) Tom Bergeron telling the rapper, “there was a real shock in this room,” after he revealed that she’d be the one going home that week, given her consistent performances and high scores.

Pamela Anderson on Season 10

Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood / Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Before her much-deserved comeback over the last couple of years with roles in films like The Last Showgirl and The Naked Gun, Anderson took to the ballroom for a change of pace. Pro Damian Whitewood was her partner, and the two placed in sixth place overall, with Nicole Scherzinger and her partner Derek Hough finishing in first. But that wasn’t Anderson’s only time in the ballroom! She returned five seasons later to take part in the Season 15 All Stars run, where she was partnered with Tristan MacManus—though they were unfortunately eliminated first.

Zendaya on Season 16

Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy / Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The Golden Globe Award-winning actress has starred in an impressive number of box-office hits over the last decade, including major franchises like Dune and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Still, back in 2013, she became the youngest competitor to ever take to the hardwood (at the time) at just 16 years old. The superstar and her partner—the aforementioned Val Chmerkovskiy—were runners-up that season, finishing in second after Kellie Pickler and partner Hough.

Vanessa Lachey on Season 25

Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images/Eric McCandless / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Before she was helping singles find love without seeing each other first on Netflix’s hit dating show Love Is Blind, Lachey competed on the show alongside her husband, Nick Lacey. Maksim Chmerkovskiy was her partner, and the two finished in seventh place, sent home as part of a double elimination alongside WWE superstar Nikki Bella and her partner Artem Chigvintsev. Still, Lachey left with bragging rights at home, as she made it one week further than her husband, who was eliminated fifth overall with partner Peta Murgatroyd.

Nikki Glaser on Season 27

Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko / Eric McCandless via Getty Images

Back in January, comedian and roast extraordinaire Glaser hosted the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards and received so much praise for her hilarious work, the show announced in March that she’d be returning to hosting duties for the 2026 ceremony. But back in 2018, Glaser put up the microphone to try her hand at the dance competition. She was partnered with Gleb Savchenko, though the two were unfortunately the first pair eliminated, with Bobby Bones and his partner Sharna Burgess taking home the mirrorball trophy that season.

Be sure to catch new episodes of Season 34 of DWTS Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. New episodes stream on Hulu the next day, and we’ll be back here to recap everything live for you on Nov. 4!

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