01of 13ZendayaAdam Taylor/DisneyLong before she was scoringEmmy Awardsand giving usiconic ensembleson red carpets,Zendayacompeted on season 16 ofDancing with the Starsin 2013 with Val Chmerkovskiy — and came in second place!

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Zendaya

Adam Taylor/Disney

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

Long before she was scoringEmmy Awardsand giving usiconic ensembleson red carpets,Zendayacompeted on season 16 ofDancing with the Starsin 2013 with Val Chmerkovskiy — and came in second place!

02of 13Kim KardashianKelsey McNeal/DisneyOne year afterKeeping Up with the Kardashiansdebuted on E!, thereality mogultried her hand at ballroom dancing and was a contestant in season 7 of the show in 2008. Unfortunately, her stint withMark Ballaswas short-lived, and she was eliminated in week 3.

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Kim Kardashian

Kelsey McNeal/Disney

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 29: DANCING WITH THE STARS - “Episode 702” - On week two of “Dancing with the Stars,” airing MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), eleven dance couples remain vying for the chance to be crowned champion of “Dancing with the Stars,” as some couples performed the Rumba and others danced the Paso Doble. (Photo by Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

One year afterKeeping Up with the Kardashiansdebuted on E!, thereality mogultried her hand at ballroom dancing and was a contestant in season 7 of the show in 2008. Unfortunately, her stint withMark Ballaswas short-lived, and she was eliminated in week 3.

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Chris Hemsworth

Kristian Dowling/Getty

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Actor Chris Hemsworth and dance partner Abbey Ross attend the Dancing With The Stars after show drinks party, following the first night of Season Five of the reality TV dance show, at Channel Seven on September 26, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)

04of 13NormaniEric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment ContentWe now know her as the girl who can churn out abreathtaking performanceat an awards shows, but whenNormanicompeted in 2005’s season 24, she was still a semi-known member ofFifth Harmony.The “Motivation” singer’s week 10 elimination cameas a shock, as she was a top prospect to take the Mirrorball Trophy that year with partnerVal Chmerkovskiy.

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Normani

Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

We now know her as the girl who can churn out abreathtaking performanceat an awards shows, but whenNormanicompeted in 2005’s season 24, she was still a semi-known member ofFifth Harmony.The “Motivation” singer’s week 10 elimination cameas a shock, as she was a top prospect to take the Mirrorball Trophy that year with partnerVal Chmerkovskiy.

05of 13TinasheEric McCandless/ABCLike Normani,Tinashe’selimination also came as a shock. The “2 On” singer had afew albumsunder her belt before she competed, and fans were staggered when she and partnerBrandon Armstrongwereeliminatedin week 4 of season 27 in 2018.

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Tinashe

Eric McCandless/ABC

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

Like Normani,Tinashe’selimination also came as a shock. The “2 On” singer had afew albumsunder her belt before she competed, and fans were staggered when she and partnerBrandon Armstrongwereeliminatedin week 4 of season 27 in 2018.

06of 13Wendy WilliamsAdam Taylor/DisneyBeforeTheWendy WilliamsShowbecame adaytime behemoth, Williamsadmittedlyjoined season 12 ofDWTSin 2011 to get more eyes on her new series.Sheand partnerTony Dovolaniwere eliminated in week 3.

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Wendy Williams

DANCING WITH THE STARS - “Episode 1202” - Following last week’s smash hit Season 12 premiere, all 11 couples returned to the ballroom floor for a second dance on “Dancing with the Stars” tonight, MONDAY, MARCH 28 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Each of the couples were given a second chance to impress the judges and viewers with a dazzling jive or quickstep. (Photo by Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)TONY DOVOLANI, WENDY WILLIAMS

BeforeTheWendy WilliamsShowbecame adaytime behemoth, Williamsadmittedlyjoined season 12 ofDWTSin 2011 to get more eyes on her new series.Sheand partnerTony Dovolaniwere eliminated in week 3.

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Lisa Rinna

Bob D’Amico/Disney

UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 05: DANCING WITH THE STARS - An NFL legend, a Hollywood icon, a Platinum-selling rap singer and even an Academy Award-winning actress are among the performers who will strut their stuff when the second season of the sensational dance series, “Dancing with the Stars,” premieres THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Television Network. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, the new season boasts an expanded lineup with even more celebrities than before. One of the stars preparing to waltz, fox trot and cha cha cha their way into living rooms across America is: LISA RINNA - Actress, entrepreneur and host of SOAPnet’s “Soap Talk.” She will be partnered with professional dancer Louis van Amstel, who returns to the series from last season. (Photo by Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

08of 13JoJo SiwaEric McCandless/ABCYes,Siwahad a huge youth following prior to joining season 30 in 2021, but her stint on the show exposed her to a wider audience and she instantly became a fan favorite. The formerDance Momsstar — who made up thefirst-ever same-sex couplewith proJenna Johnson— was the season’srunner-up.

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JoJo Siwa

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

Yes,Siwahad a huge youth following prior to joining season 30 in 2021, but her stint on the show exposed her to a wider audience and she instantly became a fan favorite. The formerDance Momsstar — who made up thefirst-ever same-sex couplewith proJenna Johnson— was the season’srunner-up.

09of 13Jordan FisherEric McCandless/GettyWe knew singer/actorFisherfrom his stints onThe Secret Life of the American Teenageras well asLiv and Maddie,but thisyoung superstartotally dominated season 25 ofDWTSin 2017: the then-23-year-old and partnerLindsay Arnoldwon theMirrorball Trophythat season.

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Jordan Fisher

Eric McCandless/Getty

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

We knew singer/actorFisherfrom his stints onThe Secret Life of the American Teenageras well asLiv and Maddie,but thisyoung superstartotally dominated season 25 ofDWTSin 2017: the then-23-year-old and partnerLindsay Arnoldwon theMirrorball Trophythat season.

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Mario Lopez

Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Conten

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

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Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino

Adam Larkey/Disney

DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW - “Episode 1110A” - All of the frenzy and anticipation led up to the moment we’ve all been waiting for when the couples' scores from the judges were combined with the audience votes to determine who among the three finalists now reign as champion of “Dancing with the Stars” and take home the coveted mirror ball trophy, on the Season Finale, TUESDAY, NOV. 23 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Television Network. (Photo by Adam Larkey / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) KARINA SMIRNOFF, MIKE “THE SITUATION” SORRENTINO, KYM JOHNSON, DAVID HASSELHOFF

12of 13Mark CubanCarol Kaelson/Disney General EntertainmentCuban certainly didn’t needDWTSto grow hisbillion-dollar empire, but two years before he became everyone’s favorite shark onShark Tank,he was a contestant on the dancing show on season 5 in 2007. He was eliminated in week 5, coming in eighth place with partnerKym Johnson—who is now marriedtoShark Tankstar (andDWTScompetitor) Robert Herjavec.

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Mark Cuban

Carol Kaelson/Disney General Entertainment

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

Cuban certainly didn’t needDWTSto grow hisbillion-dollar empire, but two years before he became everyone’s favorite shark onShark Tank,he was a contestant on the dancing show on season 5 in 2007. He was eliminated in week 5, coming in eighth place with partnerKym Johnson—who is now marriedtoShark Tankstar (andDWTScompetitor) Robert Herjavec.

13of 13Alfonso RibeiroD Dipasupil/FilmMagicWe all loved him as Carlton onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,but hisseason 19 winwithWitney CarsononDWTSin 2014 certainly gaveRibeiro’scareer a second wind: the actor is currentlyco-hosting season 31alongside Tyra Banks.

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Alfonso Ribeiro

D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

DWTS Contestants Who Blew Up After Competing

We all loved him as Carlton onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,but hisseason 19 winwithWitney CarsononDWTSin 2014 certainly gaveRibeiro’scareer a second wind: the actor is currentlyco-hosting season 31alongside Tyra Banks.

source: people.com