High Scoring DWTS Contestants Who Went Home Before The Finale

August 2024 ยท 5 minute read

Dancing With the Stars is a popular celebrity dance competition show that has been around for thirty seasons. Over the course of the series, it has sparked some backlash and controversy over sending great dancers home too early in the competition due to fans voting for their favorites who aren't always the best dancers.

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The biggest upset in the history of Dancing With the Stars is probably when Bobby Bones won season 27 with his partner, Sharna, when he was one of the least talented dancers in the competition. The show received so much backlash that they changed the way celebrities are booted from the show; they let the judges decide who goes home in between the two couples with the lowest combined score and fan votes. Let's take a look at which high-scoring and talented celebrities were voted off the show before the finale.

8 Sabrina Bryan Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Sabrina Bryan, from the Cheetah Girls, who was partnered with Mark Ballas in season 5, was an incredible dancer that fans loved, however, she didn't receive enough votes one week and was booted off the show in 7th place during season 5, and again in 8th place during season 15. She was so beloved and fans were so disappointed when she left the show too early that they invited her back as a guest performer one week.

7 Melora Hardin Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Definitely a fan favorite as well as a judge's favorite on season 30 of Dancing With the Stars, The Office and The Bold Type star, Melora Hardin, was voted off just before the finale. Her average score on the show was 36 out of 40, which is very good, especially considering she was in her 50s when she competed. She came in 6th place on the show and held a season-high score of a perfect 40 for her Paso Doble.

Related: How Many Dance Partners Became Couples On Dancing With the Stars?

6 Sunisa Lee Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Olympic gold medal gymnast Sunisa Lee was voted off Dancing With the Stars in 5th place, just before the finale in season 30. Lee had a season average score of 33.8 out of 40, achieving a perfect score for her Samba. Gymnasts typically do very well on Dancing With the Stars due to their athletic ability, and Lee was no exception. According to PopSugar, during a backstage interview, Lee said that "obviously we didn't make it to the finale, but I feel like I finally found myself, and I'm more confident in myself."

5 Brandy Norwood Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Brandy Norwood competed in season 11 of Dancing With the Stars and came in 4th place with her professional partner, Maksim, after being a front-runner to win all season. She averaged a score of 26 out of 30 for the season and received a perfect score for her Argentine Tango. She was let go during the week of the semi-finals, much to the shock of viewers.

4 Simone Biles Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Simone Biles, one of many gymnastic competitors on the series over the years, came in 4th place during season 24 of Dancing With the Stars. Her partner was Sasha, and her average score during the season was 35.6 out of 40. Her lowest score during the season was a 29 out of 40 for her Cha-Cha-Cha, while receiving two perfect scores for her Jive as well as her Rumba.

Related: Could Cheryl Burke Be Leaving DWTS For Good?

3 Heather Morris Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Perhaps one of the biggest shockers during Dancing With the Stars, celebrity contestant and Glee star, Heather Morris, who has worked as a professional dancer in real life, was voted off the show in 8th place on season 24 of the series. Her average score for the season was a 33.4 out of 40 and she even received a perfect score for her Rumba. The series received a lot of backlash for her early departure.

2 Maria Menounos Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

Maris Menounos consistently received high scores during her run on season 14 of Dancing With the Stars. She had an average score of 26.8 during the competition and received two perfect scores throughout, including one for her Argentine Tango and one for her Paso Doble. She was voted off the show in the semi-finals and came in 4th place after being a front-runner all season.

1 James Van Der Beek Was Voted Off Dancing With the Stars

After being a front-runner during season 28 of Dancing With the Stars, James Van Der Beek was sent home in 5th place, shortly after his wife had suffered a miscarriage and performed an emotional tribute dance expressing the grief he felt losing their child. He considered quitting the show that week due to his wife being in the hospital, but she encouraged him to keep going. He took the loss pretty hard and listed it as one of his reasons for moving out of Los Angeles and onto a ranch in Texas.

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