“Dancing with the Stars” season 34 is mixing things up Week 9 in celebration of the program’s 20th anniversary.
The show, which aired its first episode June 1, 2005, on ABC, will bask in the nostalgia of over two decades, paying tribute to past dances by reusing iconic songs, inviting previous Mirrorball champions to return to the dance floor, and bringing back the show’s original host Tom Bergeron as a guest judge.
Pensacola native and three-time NFL Super Bowl legend Emmitt Smith earned the Mirrorball Trophy alongside partner Cheryl Burke, way back 2006 during the show’s third season. The Dallas Cowboys icon returned to the competition for the “All Star” season, the show’s fifteenth season, in 2012.
Last week, Smith visited the “DWTS” set for the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night.” On Instagram, he posted photos and videos of himself catching up with the crew and meeting the new season’s celebrities. Smith even gave fellow Floridian and social media sensation Alix Earle, one of the frontrunners of the competition, a shoutout for facetiming his daughter.
Could we see Smith back on the dance floor for the special celebration?
There are just three weeks (and episodes) left in the season, with seven celebrities and their professional partners still in the running. Tonight’s new episode will be the last before the semi-finals on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Watch ‘Dancing with the Stars’ with Disney+
Did Emmett Smith win Dancing with the Stars?
Yes.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, on May 15, 1969, the former Florida Gator and NFL Hall of Famer won season three of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2006. His partner was Cheryl Burke, who returned as a guest judge during Week 7’s Halloween-themed episode.
Smith returned to the ballroom six years later for the show’s “All Star” competition in 2012. He placed fourth, his season ending after he and Burke were voted off Week 9 of the competition, according to the DWTS fandom Wikipedia.
Who was on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ with Emmett Smith?
Emmitt Smith partnered with professional dancer Cheryl Burke both times he was on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Burke, 41, was a pro on the show for 26 seasons before permanently leaving the dance competition in November 2022. Previously, she danced on the program from seasons 2 through 19, took a break and returned to the show in season 23, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Burke competed her last season with “Good Morning America” meteorologist Sam Champion in season 31.
She returned as a guest judge alongside Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and former professional Derek Hough for season 34’s “Halloween night” on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Who was the first NFL player to win Dancing with the Stars?
National Football League Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith became the first NFL player to win a season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2006.
Since then, only three NFL players have won the competition according to The Sporting News — Hines Ward in season 12 (2011), Donald Driver in season 14 (2012) and Rashad Jennings (season 24) in 2017.
Who is the guest judge on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ this week?
This week’s guest judge is “DWTS” royalty.
Tom Bergeron, who hosted the show for 28 seasons, from 2005 through 2019, will join as the fourth judge for the 20th birthday celebration.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ ‘birthday party night’ songs released, see list
According to Forbes, here’s what this week’s dances will be:
‘Dancing with the Stars’ winners with Florida ties
Here are a few “Dancing with the Stars” Mirrorball winners, besides Emmitt Smith, with Florida ties:
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: ‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebrates 20 years with past winners. Will Emmitt Smith return?
Reporting by Ashley Ferrer, Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
