Dancing with the Stars has had its share of surprising eliminations over the years. There's always the one contestant who can dance really well, but who doesn't seem to capture the emotional vote. Or sometimes, the viewers assume that contestant is safe because of their dance ability and they don't vote for them. That's how some of the ringers wind up going home.
In a perfect world, DWTS would bring the celebrity back for another chance the next season because they were gone too soon. Would this give them the chance to make it farther? Not necessarily — just ask Sabrina Bryan, who wound up exiting DWTS in Week 6 twice — once with Mark Ballas in Season 5, and once with Louis Van Amstel in Season 15.
The voters might be finicky, but let's take a look at a few contestants who we think deserve a second chance. Be sure to chime in with your picks on social media, too.
Tinashe
Season 27 should have been a sweet one for pro Brandon Armstrong. It was his debut season as a pro and he was paired with Tinashe, whose movement quality was both graceful and powerful. That didn't seem to matter to the DWTS fans, who wound up eliminating her in the fourth week. Tinashe went on to strut her stuff as Mimi in Rent: Live just months later.
Ralph Macchio
The Karate Kid can dance? He and partner Karina Smirnoff were one of the top couples to watch in Season 12. The judges were all over the map during their run on the show. Many fans thought Ralph could have easily made it to the finals, but the couple was eliminated in the semi-finals. With Cobra Kai a huge hit on YouTube Premium, we would love to see him return to the ballroom to prove the judges wrong.
Willow Shields
As the youngest contestant ever on DWTS, Willow Shields put her heart and soul into the competition with partner Mark Ballas. He delivered fantastic and creative choreography for her run on the show, but voters put the then 14-year-old in seventh place. Her reaction to her elimination still breaks our heart.
Charlie White
In any other season, Charlie White could have won that Mirrorball Trophy with Sharna Burgess. It was Season 18; the competition was stacked and the Maks Chmerkovskiy/Meryl White partnership was unbeatable from Week 1. Charlie remains one of our favorite DWTS contestants over 27 seasons.
Heather Morris
This list wouldn't be complete without Heather Morris' name on it. In Season 24, Heather stepped onto that ballroom floor and slayed every routine she was given. Of course, she had years of professional training and this probably led to her downfall in some viewers' eyes. Her pro, Maks Chmerkovskiy, was injured and replaced by troupe member Alan Bersten for four weeks while he recovered. The week Maks returned was the week the couple was eliminated.
Wanya Morris
Is anyone else dying to see a Wanya Morris freestyle choreographed by Lindsay Arnold? We were denied that opportunity in Season 22 and we haven't recovered from his shocking elimination in the semi-finals.
Elizabeth Berkley
It was a big deal for Elizabeth Berkley to do DWTS and rediscover her love of dance. The aftermath of Showgirls undeservingly put a damper on her career, so her Season 17 appearance with Val Chmerkovskiy helped her rediscover that passion. She was eliminated seventh, but we think there was a lot more she could accomplish with another run on the show.
Juan Pablo Di Piace
This was another controversial Season 27 elimination — Juan Pablo Di Piace. Juan Pablo was in it to win it and his final performance with Cheryl Burke was his exquisite Argentine tango. We know if he was given a second opportunity, he would jump at the chance.
Christina Milian
This exit rocked Season 17 to the core, not only because Christina Milian and Mark Ballas were out in Week 5, but because some felt guest judge Julianne Hough had a part in it. The week before Julianne called out Mark for overshadowing his partner. The criticism stung the couple and it didn't help that they went home the following week. Can we bring both of them back?
Let us know who you think deserves a second chance on Dancing with the Stars. Is it someone on this list or another celebrity?
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