Season seven of Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 22, 2008, on the ABC network.
Instead of twelve couples as in previous seasons, this was the first season to feature a lineup of thirteen couples. This season also introduced four new dances: the hustle, jitterbug, salsa, and West Coast Swing.
Model and host Brooke Burke and Derek Hough were crowned the champions, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson finished in second place, and NSYNC singer Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer finished third.
Cast
Couples This season featured thirteen celebrity contestants. The official cast announcement was made on the morning of August 25, 2008, on Good Morning America. Celebrity Notability Professional partner Status Stand-up comedian Eliminated 1ston September 23, 2008 Film & television actor Eliminated 2ndon September 24, 2008 Reality television personality Eliminated 3rdon September 30, 2008 Olympic beach volleyball player Withdrewon October 6, 2008 Celebrity chef & author Eliminated 4thon October 14, 2008 Singer-songwriter Eliminated 5thon October 21, 2008 Film & television actress Eliminated 6thon October 28, 2008 All My Children actress Eliminated 7thon November 5, 2008 Olympic sprinter Eliminated 8thon November 11, 2008 Hannah Montana actor Edyta Śliwińska (Weeks 7-8)Eliminated 9thon November 18, 2008 NSYNC singer Third placeon November 25, 2008 NFL defensive tackle Runners-upon November 25, 2008 Model & television host Winnerson November 25, 2008
Host and judges Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris returned as the show's co-hosts. Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba returned as the judges, while Michael Flatley appeared as a guest judge during week six.
Scoring chart The highest score each week is indicated in with a dagger (), while the lowest score each week is indicated in with a double-dagger ().
Color key:
+Dancing with the Stars (season 7) - Weekly scores Couple Week 1 2 3 4 3+4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1+2 Brooke & Derek 1st 26 30+29= 28+27= 21+28=49 28+30= +30= Warren & Kym 2nd 21 22 43 25 22 47 25 25 21+29=50 28+26=54 24+25=49 25+28= +27= Lance & Lacey 3rd 22 21 43 20 22 48 25+20=45 26+24=50 28+29= 26+27= +28=81 Cody & Julianne 4th 18 23 41 21 21 23 44 28 23 22+20= 24+24= 22+24= Maurice & Cheryl 5th 18 21 39 19 24 20 44 27 21 25+29=54 24+24= Susan & Tony 6th 15 22 37 21 21 24 4522 23 24+20=44 Cloris & Corky 7th 16 22 Toni & Alec 8th 22 23 45 23 22 22 4422 Rocco & Karina 9th 14 21 35 16 20 Misty & Maks 10th 21 21 42 21 Kim & Mark 11th 19 18 3717 Ted & Inna 12th 18 1937 Jeffrey & Edyta 13th Notes
Weekly scores Individual judges scores in charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli.
Week 1 On the first night, each couple performed either the cha-cha-cha or foxtrot. On the second night, each couple performed either the mambo or quickstep. Two couples were eliminated by the end of the second night. Couples are listed in the order they performed. Night 1 CoupleScoresDanceMusic Cody & Julianne 18 (6, 6, 6) Cha-cha-cha "Tilt Ya Head Back" — Nelly & Christina Aguilera Rocco & Karina 14 (5, 4, 5) Foxtrot "Stray Cat Strut" — Stray Cats Toni & Alec 22 (7, 7, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Smooth" — Carlos Santana, feat. Rob Thomas Maurice & Cheryl 18 (6, 6, 6) Foxtrot "Doing It to Death" — Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s Brooke & Derek 23 (7, 8, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)" — The Chi-Lites Ted & Inna 18 (6, 6, 6) Foxtrot "God Only Knows" — The Beach Boys Lance & Lacey 22 (8, 6, 8) Cha-cha-cha "Jumpin' Jack Flash" — The Rolling Stones Cloris & Corky 16 (6, 5, 5) Foxtrot "I Wish I Were in Love Again" — Frank Sinatra Jeffrey & Edyta 12 (4, 4, 4) Cha-cha-cha "Play That Funky Music" — Wild Cherry Kim & Mark 19 (6, 7, 6) Foxtrot "The Pink Panther Theme" — Henry Mancini Susan & Tony 15 (5, 5, 5) Cha-cha-cha "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" — Marvin Gaye Misty & Maks 21 (6, 8, 7) Foxtrot "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" — Natalie Cole Warren & Kym 21 (7, 7, 7) Cha-cha-cha "Do I Do" — Stevie Wonder Night 2 CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Lance & Lacey 21 (7, 6, 8) Quickstep "Close to Me" — The Cure Safe Misty & Maks 21 (7, 7, 7) Mambo "Black Mambo"—Angel & the Mambokats Safe 21 (7, 7, 7) Mambo "I Do the Jerk" — Ryan Shaw Safe Brooke & Derek 26 (9, 8, 9) Quickstep "Lover, Come Back to Me" — Barbra Streisand Safe Cloris & Corky 16 (6, 5, 5) Mambo "Coconut Woman" — Harry Belafonte Safe Toni & Alec 23 (8, 7, 8) Quickstep "Blue Skies" — Della Reese Safe Warren & Kym 22 (7, 7, 8) Quickstep "The Ding-Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line" — Cherry Poppin' Daddies Safe Ted & Inna 19 (6, 6, 7) Mambo "Mambo Gozon" — Tito Puente Eliminated Cody & Julianne 23 (8, 7, 8) Quickstep "I Want You To Want Me" — Letters to Cleo Safe Rocco & Karina 21 (7, 7, 7) Mambo "La Comay" — Sonora Carruseles Safe Susan & Tony 22 (7, 7, 8) Quickstep "Bei mir bist du schön" — The Arthur Murray Orchestra Safe Kim & Mark 18 (6, 6, 6) Mambo "Baby Got Back" — Sir Mix-a-Lot Safe Jeffrey & Edyta No scores received Quickstep "I Get a Kick Out of You" — Frank Sinatra Eliminated
Week 2 Each couple performed either the paso doble or rumba. Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Toni & Alec 23 (7, 8, 8) Rumba "I Can't Make You Love Me" — Bonnie Raitt Safe Brooke & Derek 24 (8, 8, 8) Paso doble "Palladio" — Karl Jenkins Safe Rocco & Karina 16 (5, 6, 5) Rumba "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" — Lou Rawls Safe Lance & Lacey 20 (7, 6, 7) Paso doble "I Kissed a Girl" — Katy Perry Safe Kim & Mark 17 (6, 6, 5) Rumba "You Give Me Something" — James Morrison Eliminated Misty & Maks 21 (7, 7, 7) Paso doble "Take Me Out" — Franz Ferdinand Safe Maurice & Cheryl 19 (7, 6, 6) Rumba "Mercy Mercy Me" — Marvin Gaye Safe Cloris & Corky 15 (5, 5, 5) Paso doble "Boléro" — Maurice Ravel Safe Susan & Tony 21 (7, 7, 7) Rumba "Waiting on the World to Change" — John Mayer Safe Warren & Kym 24 (8, 8, 8) Paso doble "Malagueña" — The Brian Setzer Orchestra Safe Cody & Julianne 21 (7, 7, 7) Rumba "Bleeding Love" — Leona Lewis Safe
Week 3 Each couple performed either the jive or Viennese waltz. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
On October 3, Misty May-Treanor was injured during practice and received immediate medical attention. At the end of the episode that aired on Monday, October 6, she announced that she had ruptured her Achilles tendon, and thus had to withdraw from the competition. On the results show the next night, Tom Bergeron revealed that no one would be eliminated that week because of May-Treanor's withdrawal, and the week 3 scores would carry over to week 4. Rocco and Karina would have been eliminated had May-Treanor not withdrawn.
CoupleScoresDanceMusic Susan & Tony 21 (7, 7, 7) Jive "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" — Diana Ross Lance & Lacey 22 (8, 7, 7) Viennese waltz "Let Me Leave" — Marc Broussard Maurice & Cheryl 24 (8, 8, 8) Jive "Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His Comets Rocco & Karina 20 (7, 7, 6) Viennese waltz "What's New Pussycat?" — Tom Jones Warren & Kym 25 (9, 8, 8) Viennese waltz "Lovin' U" — Alicia Keys Cody & Julianne 21 (7, 7, 7) Jive "Call Me the Breeze" — Lynyrd Skynyrd Toni & Alec 22 (8, 7, 7) Viennese waltz "Für Elise" — Ludwig van Beethoven Cloris & Corky 16 (6, 5, 5) Jive "The Girl Can't Help It" — Little Richard Brooke & Derek 28 (9, 10, 9) Viennese waltz "Daughters" — John Mayer
Week 4 Each couple performed either the samba or tango. Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Maurice & Cheryl 20 (6, 7, 7) Samba "That's the Way (I Like It)" — KC and the Sunshine Band Safe Cody & Julianne 23 (7, 8, 8) Tango "Bohemian Like You" — The Dandy Warhols Safe Toni & Alec 22 (7, 7, 8) Samba "De dónde soy" — Thalía Safe Cloris & Corky 22 (8, 7, 7) Tango "The Big Date" — Marc Shaiman Bottom two Rocco & Karina 18 (6, 6, 6) Samba "I Go to Rio" — Peter Allen Eliminated Susan & Tony 24 (8, 8, 8) Tango "La Bohemia" — Electric Club Tango Safe Brooke & Derek 26 (9, 8, 9) Samba "Hip Hip Chin Chin" — Club des Belugas Safe Lance & Lacey 26 (9, 8, 9) Tango "Disturbia" — Rihanna Safe Warren & Kym 22 (8, 7, 7) Samba "Bounce With Me" — Kreesha Turner Safe
Week 5 Each couple performed one of four dances newly introduced this season: the hustle, jitterbug, salsa, or West Coast Swing. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
On Sunday, October 19, Brooke Burke was injured during the camera blocking for her jitterbug with partner Derek Hough. She ended up going to the hospital on Monday, October 20, for treatment and x-rays. It was determined that she had severely bruised her foot, but as of Monday afternoon, an ABC spokesperson told People that Burke and Hough would still perform on that night's live show. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Lance & Lacey 21 (7, 7, 7) West Coast Swing "Breakin' Dishes" — Rihanna Safe Toni & Alec 22 (7, 7, 8) West Coast Swing "The Way You Make Me Feel" — Michael Jackson Eliminated Susan & Tony 22 (7, 7, 8) Hustle "Upside Down" — Diana Ross Bottom two Warren & Kym 25 (8, 8, 9) Hustle "Funkytown" — Lipps Inc. Safe Cloris & Corky 21 (7, 7, 7) Salsa "Tres Deseos" — Gloria Estefan Safe Maurice & Cheryl 27 (9, 9, 9) Salsa "Everything I Can't Have" — Robin Thicke Safe Brooke & Derek 29 (10, 9, 10) Jitterbug "Don't Be Cruel" — Elvis Presley Safe Cody & Julianne 28 (10, 9, 9) Jitterbug "Big Time Operator" — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Safe
Week 6 Individual judges scores in charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Michael Flatley, Bruno Tonioli.
Each couple performed one unlearned dance, and participated in a group hip-hop dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed. CoupleScoresDanceMusicResult Maurice & Cheryl 21 (7, 7, 7) Viennese waltz "Gravity" — John Mayer Safe Lance & Lacey 27 (9, 9, 9) Jive "Tutti Frutti" — Little Richard Safe Susan & Tony 23 (8, 8, 7) Mambo "Si Señor!..." — Gloria Estefan Safe Brooke & Derek 26 (8, 10, 8) Rumba "No Air" — Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown Safe Cloris & Corky 15 (5, 5, 5) Cha-cha-cha "Come See About Me" — The Supremes Eliminated Cody & Julianne 23 (8, 8, 7) Samba "Whine Up" — Kat DeLuna, feat. Elephant Man Safe Warren & Kym 25 (8, 9, 8) Rumba "Irreplaceable" — Beyoncé Safe Brooke & DerekCloris & CorkyCody & JulianneLance & LaceyMaurice & CherylSusan & TonyWarren & Kym No scoresreceived GroupHip-hop "It Takes Two" — Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
Week 7 Each couple performed one unlearned dance and one team dance. Couples are listed in the order they performed.
Approximately forty minutes after the October 21 results show, Julianne Hough was taken by ambulance to the hospital for increasingly painful stomach pains. Initially, Hough said she was taking a day off from the group rehearsal to recover. However, on October 27, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, had to undergo surgery to remove her appendix on October 28, and that she would miss the competition until she recovered. As a result, her celebrity partner, Cody Linley, was paired with Edyta Śliwińska for weeks 7 and 8 of the competition.
On October 30, Lacey Schwimmer reported that she had endometriosis as well. It came after Julianne Hough's experience with the common, but painful, condition allowed Schwimmer to notice similar symptoms and be diagnosed at an early stage, enabling it to be treated without surgery or time away from the show.