Worst ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Injuries Ever

The competitors on Dancing With the Stars may turn out some gorgeous performances, but the blood, sweat and tears that goes into putting those performances on has meant many a trip to the hospital for the celebrities taking to the ballroom.

From muscle strains and tears to bloody and even life-threatening conditions, Dancing With the Stars competitors have been through the ringer over the show’s last 27 seasons.

Keep scrolling to read more about some of the most shocking injuries in Dancing With the Stars history:

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Pamela Anderson

Actress Pamela Anderson suffered a serious health scare in October 2018 in practice for Dancing With the Stars France.

“I hurt my right calf muscle in rehearsal last night,” Anderson wrote on Instagram at the time. “We weren’t doing anything crazy just dancing. It felt like someone threw a baseball very hard at my lower leg- I screamed and turned around and no one was there. then realized it was my calf muscle that may have exploded.”

Her partner, Maxime Dereymez, “did all he could,” she said. “He carried me to car and then carried me to my hotel room. Kine’ came to my room. My mom stayed with me through the night.”

Bobby Bones

Country radio personality Bobby Bones had a sore mouth gearing up for season 27 of Dancing With the Stars, he told PEOPLE. 

“I had to fill out a lot of paperwork, because I got hit really hard,” he said of an elbow to the face that required him to file a dental claim. “There was blood and a tooth. I still don’t know what I’m doing. [Partner Sharna Burgess] was doing her spin thing, and she was doing what she was supposed to do, and my face was not doing what it was supposed to do.”

Kim Zolciak Biermann

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star had one of the more shocking injuries in Dancing With the Stars history, suffering a mini-stroke that forced her to eliminate herself from the competition in season 21. 

In 2017, she took to Instagram to explain what happened on that day. 

“As you know I had a stroke in Sept 2015,” she began. “And when Brielle called Kroy to tell him something wasn’t ‘right’ with me I remember him yelling, ‘Brielle get her in the car NOW and take her to the hospital fast every minute count!’ It’s TRUE! And I’m so thankful for everyone’s quick thinking.”

She continued, “I’ve never seen doctors/nurses move as fast as they did the second I was wheeled in. I’m so thankful for my medical team.”

The incident still affects her to this day, she concluded, “I have almost fully recovered (sometimes my tongue slips when I speak, and sometimes I have the word on the tip of my tongue but it just doesn’t come out) but I feel great!! I had my stroke at 37!! It can happen to anyone at any age!! When in doubt please always check it out!!”

 

 

Marie Osmond

Marie Osmond’s time on season 5 of the ABC show looked like it would be cut short when she collapsed on live TV in front of the judges before receiving her scores. She remained on the floor for half a minute before medical attention could be administered, but in the end she was able not only to continue on with the season, but to get her scores for the night before being examined by the medic.

 

Ginger Zee

Meteorologist Ginger Zee nearly had her appearance in the season 22 finale compromised after she hurt her pelvis during practice.

“I couldn’t even do two of my dress rehearsal runs today because, for one, I can’t even do some of the moves. I’m not allowed to,” she said at the time. “I’m not even close to where I need to be to perform.”

But after a trip to the physical therapist’s office, she was able to return to the dance floor.

Tamar Braxton

Another competitor on season 21 alongside Zolciak Biermann to bow out due to health issues, Tamar Braxton was sent to the hospital during the dress rehearsal for the show after blood clots developed in her lungs. Since then, Braxton has dealt with the reemergence of the blood clots from time to time.  

 

Melissa Rycroft

Prior to taking home the Mirrorball Trophy on the all-star season of Dancing With the Stars, Melissa Rycroft’s ability to compete in general was thrown into jeopardy after a herniated disk she developed during rehearsals for the group dance sent her to the hospital. Luckily for Rycroft, she was able to recover and dance through the pain, bringing home the win!

 

Bill Nye

Bill Nye’s time on season 17 of Dancing With the Stars was effectively ended when a trip during one of his performances sent him to the hospital with a torn tendon. 

Despite doctor’s orders to stay out of the ballroom the following week, he ended up dancing through the pain. But his low scores from that performances ended up sending him home that night anways.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: ABC