Sherri Shepherd insists she was 'unfairly eliminated' on DWTS and wants to return for a 'fan-favo...

&34;It was the best experience of my life,&34; the daytime talk show host gushes. Sherri Shepherd insists she was 'unfairly eliminated' on DWTS and wants to ret

"It was the best experience of my life," the daytime talk show host gushes.

Sherri Shepherd insists she was 'unfairly eliminated' on DWTS and wants to return for a 'fan-favorite' season

"It was the best experience of my life," the daytime talk show host gushes.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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September 24, 2025 10:48 a.m. ET

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Sherri Shepherd on 'Dancing With the Stars'. Credit:

Bob D'Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Sherri Shepherd has some words with the powers that be over at *Dancing With the Stars*.

The daytime talk show host reflected on her time on the dancing competition during an appearance on Monday's episode of *Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen*. An audience member asked Shepherd if she thought she was "unfairly eliminated" from the competition in 2012 — and the star definitely felt she was.

"I think I was unfairly eliminated. I got eliminated during the tango, and I love salsa, bachata and tango," she responded. "I got to the fourth week, and I was eliminated."

Val Chmerkovskiy and Sherri Shepherd on 'Dancing With the Stars'.

Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Shepherd competed during season 14 of *DWTS*, during which she was paired up with professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy. The pair was eliminated during the fourth week, after a tango routine landed them in the bottom three on the leaderboard. While bidding farewell, Shepherd tearfully gave the audience some inspiring words as her final words: "That thing that scares you the most, that makes you say, 'I don't know if I can do it, I'm scared' — run towards it, because it's so amazing on the other side."

Season 14 was won by Super Bowl champ Donald Driver and Chmerkovskiy's sister-in-law, Peta Murgatroyd. Classical singer Katherine Jenkins came in second with dance partner Mark Ballas. Other notable contestants that season included Gladys Knight, Maria Menounos, and Jaleel White.

Despite her tearful end, Shepherd told the *WWHL* audience that she'd love to go back on the show, which is now in its 34th season.

"I really want them ... if they have a fan-favorite [season], I would love to go back to *Dancing With the Stars*. I loved it. It was the best experience of my life," she said. "But I loved being on the show because it's such a family. I keep in touch with everybody."

When host Andy Cohen jokingly asked if Shepherd had an "affair" with her dance partner, the *View* alum cheekily admitted to having the hots for Chmerkovskiy.

"I was married at the time. Val Chmerkovskiy was my partner. But believe you me, if I was single, I would have been a cougar with [him]," she quipped.

Shepherd isn't the only former partner of Chmerkovskiy who holds some sour feelings about their elimination from the show.

Zendaya, who was only 16 years old when she competed on the ABC dance competition, revealed in a *W Magazine *cover story earlier this year that she doesn't keep up with the series anymore after she and Chmerkovskiy finished second in season 16 in 2013.

When the interviewer said that she and Chmerkovskiy "should have won," Zendaya replied, "Listen, I'm still harboring a little animosity about that."

Joey Graziadei shuts down dating rumors with 'DWTS' partner Jenna Johnson

Zendaya hasn't watched 'DWTS' since she competed on it

At the time, Zendaya was a Disney Channel star who had grown up singing, acting, and dancing on shows like *Shake It Up* and *K.C. Undercover*. The *Euphoria* star explained that it was devastating to lose out on the Mirrorball trophy at such a young age.

"I felt that loss. I was only 16 years old, and it was highly stressful," she said. "Being on live television every week? It's so scary."

Zendaya said that she also wished her younger self had embraced a more carefree approach to the show. "I took it very seriously, which, in retrospect, I wish I didn't. I wish I'd enjoyed it a little bit more and just was like, 'Eh, whatever.' You know what I mean?" she added. "But I was stressing myself out. I really went through it on that."

***Sign up for **'s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.*****

During *DWTS*' two-night finale, Zendaya and Chmerkovskiy held a one-point advantage over *American Idol *alum Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough, who made up the difference through fan votes and were crowned the winners. Chmerkovskiy told *Entertainment Tonight* in 2018 that the loss was his "biggest heartbreak" and he felt like he "dropped the ball a little bit."**** "I wish I could go back and have another chance at that season, because I feel like she was an incredible talent and I could've done better," he said. "I think I wasn't as good as I am definitely now as a choreographer and as a teacher and dancer."**

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