Sherri Shepherd Says Dancing With the Stars “Unfairly Eliminated” Her

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Sherri Shepherd is ready to slip on her dancing shoes.

Over 13 years after appearing on *Dancing With the Stars*, the talk show host looked back on her and partner Val Chmerkovskiy being eliminated during the fourth week of the show.

Sherri felt she was eliminated from the competition unfairly. She shared on the September 22nd episode of *Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen* that she was cut during the tango, a dance she enjoys along with salsa and bachata.

The 58-year-old made it clear that she would love to step back into the ballroom.

She said she’d be thrilled to return if the show still has a strong following. She described her previous experience as the best of her life and said she really loved it.

Although it’s been more than ten years since she competed on the show – Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd were the eventual winners – she remains close with her fellow competitors. She shared, “I really enjoyed being on the show because it felt like a family, and I still stay in touch with everyone.”

Even when Sherri was eliminated in 2012, she gave a heartfelt speech about overcoming her fears and being thankful.

She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. She then encouraged everyone to face their fears, saying, “Whatever scares you the most, even if it feels impossible, go for it – the rewards are incredible.”

The host of *Sherri* isn’t the only celebrity still upset about being eliminated from *Dancing with the Stars*. Zendaya, who previously competed with Val, recently shared how she felt when she finished as the runner-up in 2013. Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough won the competition that season.

I’m still a bit upset about that whole situation,” the *Spider-Man* actress told *W Magazine* in January. “It really hurt, and I was so young – only sixteen. It was incredibly stressful, especially having to perform live on TV every week. It was really frightening.

Looking back, I realize I worried way too much about it. I wish I’d relaxed and had more fun with it, instead of getting so stressed. It was a really tough time for me.

For a closer look at what it’s really like to be on Dancing With the Stars, keep reading.

In 2019, *Variety* reported that contestants on *Dancing With the Stars* initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show, with payouts increasing each week they continue. Sources indicated a potential maximum earning of $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones, who won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018, claimed he earned significantly more.

On Jason Tartick’s *Trading Secrets* podcast in September 2025, Bones revealed the pay structure: no money for the first episode, $10,000 for the second, and increasing amounts-$10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000-potentially reaching $50,000 per episode if a contestant lasts. He stated that, combined with a base salary of around $110,000, he ultimately earned nearly $400,000 from the show.

ABC has not officially confirmed these figures.

Details about how much the professional dancers earn haven’t been widely shared either. However, like the contestants, it appears their earnings increase the longer they stay on the show.

Even if a pro dancer is eliminated early, they still receive payment.

“There’s a guaranteed amount you earn for a certain number of weeks,” Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester’s podcast, *The Morning After*. “But contracts vary, so I can’t speak for everyone.”

It seems professional dancers on *Dancing with the Stars* don’t earn extra money for winning the Mirrorball Trophy, even though it’s now named after the late Len Goodman. However, there’s still a financial benefit to reaching the finale. According to pro dancer Cheryl Burke, making it to the end means getting paid for the entire season *and* receiving a bonus. Winning doesn’t come with a large cash prize to split with a celebrity partner – it’s more about the trophy and the experience.

That doesn’t seem to be what happened. Dancer Lindsay Arnold shared on the podcast *Trading Secrets* in 2022 that her pay was reduced by more than half when she moved from a main professional dancer to a troupe member.

Professional dancers have very little say in who they’re partnered with on shows like *Dancing With the Stars*. Lindsay explained on the *Hot Smart Rich* podcast that pairings are simply assigned, with dancers expected to make it work. Jenna added on *The Morning After* that the pairings are usually kept secret until the last minute to capture a genuine reaction. They don’t even reveal the full cast to the dancers beforehand, though leaks often happen. According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the team considers height, body type, personality, and compatibility when making matches. They avoid pairing people who are likely to clash, as the experience is too intense for everyone involved. Unlike shows like *The Bachelor*, the goal isn’t to create drama, but to ensure a positive experience for the celebrity, the viewers, and themselves. They’ve learned from past mistakes where incompatible pairings led to a miserable experience.

Dancing With the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the *Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis* that rehearsals typically last four hours, either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the work doesn’t end there – she often spends additional time with producers, working on choreography, or studying dance routines.

Arnold says the show essentially takes over her life, but she loves it and is passionate about what she does. It’s a demanding schedule with no days off. Rehearsals run from Wednesday to Sunday, with camera blocking on Monday and then showtime again on Tuesday.

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in an Instagram video in September 2025 that they were mostly on board, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by the behind-the-scenes magic of shows like ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ and let me tell you, the costume department is operating at warp speed! It’s even faster paced than the dances themselves. The designers, like Daniela Gschwendtner and Steven Norman Lee, essentially create a story with each outfit, collaborating with everyone from the set designers to the dancers themselves. Then comes the real challenge: they have just five days – sometimes only half a day per costume – to bring those ideas to life, rhinestones and all! It’s a huge operation with around 20 people working in the department, plus a separate tailor shop. Surprisingly, the dancers often don’t even try on their costumes until just hours before the show! While they might re-wear pants for the male dancers, everything is generally custom-made each week. Daniela explained they do reuse items for group numbers or promotional shoots, but for the competition itself, it’s all about keeping things fresh and new, so each performance feels special and visually exciting.

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2025-09-24 23:48