Since 2005, viewers having been tuning in multiple times a week to see the celeb-studded performances on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
The mixed bag of famous faces never fails to entertain us — everyone from burly football players, young up-and-comers, and even a few of our former elected officials have all strutted their stuff across the dance floor. There have been moments that make us laugh, like when ESPN reporter and 2006 contestant Kenny Mayne would often forget his footwork.
Other moments brought us to tears, such as Bindi Irwin's unforgettable tribute to her late father, Steve.
As someone who likes to win every pop culture trivia contest she walks into, I started wondering more about what goes on behind the scenes of this bedazzling program.
Take a look below to see if you really know everything about the cast and crew.
Did we miss your favorite piece of trivia about the series? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to SHARE the surprising info with your friends!
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1. They Never Expected It To Be So Popular
Host Tom Bergeron admitted in an interview with Boston magazine that no one on the production crew or cast were sure the show would become a success when it first premiered, much less earn the mega-high ratings they rake in each week.
"Even those of us in the midst of getting it ready to go on the air in 2005, while we all believed we had an entertaining show, that in and of itself is no guarantee."
2. There's A Tie For Youngest Winner
Both Shawn Johnson and Bindi Irwin were 17 years old when they took the trophy in the spring of 2009 and fall of 2015, respectively.
3. The Stars Are Paid Very Well
Even if they're voted off after the first round, documents have shown the celeb contestants receiving a $125,000 paycheck for their appearance on the the show's two week premiere and returning for the grand finale.
The longer they last in the competition, the higher their salary, with many of them donating those funds to charity.
4. Bindi's Age Got In The Way Of Her Paycheck
Throughout her season, Bindi performed a few emotional homages to her late father, Steve Irwin. However, it was his lingering presence behind the scenes that made life a little rough for the precious teen.
As a minor, Bindi was forced to prove to the courts — who apparently have never read a newspaper — that Steve was in fact deceased before they would allow her to touch her estimated $360,000 earnings from the show.
5. Football Players Are Surprisingly Spry
You've probably noticed plenty of athletes entering the competition over the years, but football players definitely dominate by numbers. The series has seen 16 contestants come from the NFL to make their way across the dance floor, like Michael Sam pictured above.
However, only three of them have ever held the champion title for their fancy footwork: Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, and Donald Driver.
6. The Lowest Score Ever Earned Was An 8
Master P admittedly didn't have a lot of prep time after stepping in at the last moment to fill in for his son, Romeo, who had suffered a sudden injury before the winter '05/'06 season.
That said, the single digit score out of a possible 30 points on his Paso Doble with partner Ashly DelGrosso had to sting.
7. The Steamy Choreography Has Led To Romance
After competing in the spring of 2015, Shark Tank panelist Robert Herjavec recently said "I do" to his dance parter, Kym Johnson. Other couples have been rumored over the years, including the more substantiated cases of Makism Chmerkovsky's prior engagement to Karina Smirnoff and current engagement to Peta Murgatroyd.
8. It's Also Led To Some Animosity
Reality star Kate Gosselin is no stranger to controversy, something that definitely followed her to the dance studio. Things apparently got so bad that her partner, Tony Dovolani, later said "a lot of therapy was involved" for him to recover after they were voted off the spring 2010 season.
9. It's Based On A British Series
Like Simon Cowell bringing American Idol and X-Factor across the pond, this talent competition was originally known as Strictly Come Dancing, which premiered in 2004 and is currently in its fourteenth round on the BBC One.
Did we miss your favorite fact about the exciting dance show? Let us know below and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
